Left in Bleeding Broken Shards
by VesperChan
Summary: Growing up with a monster as a father can be hard and Sakura starts to loose hope that is untill she meets some of the boys from the village that have taken a likeing to her.Sakuracentric childhood fluff
1. Home

**Left in bleeding broken shards  
By Vesper chan  
Chapter one  
Home

* * *

**

_I'll be coming home  
Just to be alone  
Cause I know you're not there  
And I know that you don't care__  
I can hardly wait to leave this place  
Home, home, this house is not a  
Home, home, this house is not a home_

A small green eyed girl with long loose locks the color of bright cherry blossoms that hung wildly around her pale face looked out the cracked and dirty window of her new home a few doors down from the bar her father now worked at every night.

She turned around to look behind her when she heard a door open and close. A man with dark red hair and a short unshaved beard grunted coming out of his bedroom. His slightly dirtied clothes were a mass of wrinkles as he stumbled down the hallway. Jerking open the dying refrigerator door he pulled out the last rice ball and quickly devoured it leaving nothing for the quiet girl. After finishing his snack he pulled out a cigarette and a light and exited the apartment, but not before shooting a glare at the small girl that made her shiver in fear.

The small girl's name was Sakura. It was a fitting name for her unique and unusual hair coloring. The man that lived with her, if you could call it that, was her father. Her last name was Kenichi. It meant great firstborn samurai.

Sakura watched the sun set ending the twilight and bring birth to another starry night. She quickly headed for her deep coat closet her father gave her as a bedroom since it was only a single bedroom apartment. Her father moved around a lot taking any job that was available. The two had lived in every climate imaginable from the harsh icy winds from the snow country to the cruel blistering heat from Suna, the desert country. Currently he worked at the bar down the street serving drinks from behind the counter, enjoying a brief on himself from time to time. He left every night and returned every morning. He slept through the entire day so thankfully, if she played her cards right, Sakura rarely saw or heard from him.

The pale slender girl pulled her ripped and tattered pink blanket up around her for warmth. Through the crack in the door she could see the moonlight reflecting off the broken glass from an old sake bottle he smashed in another one of his fits o drunken rage. For her young age she was smart girl and avoided him when he got like that. Rubbing her small back she remembered the last time she had acted unwisely and asked him to please stop.

It was their first day there and he grew angry when she asked where she would sleep. He was already heavily inebriated and a pain had already started to take root in the corner of his brain. The last time he needed was the sounds of his only child talking to him.

He turned towards her, his saffron yellow eyes flashing with rage and hostility. He threw his empty sake bottle down, shattering the bottle into a hundred jagged pieces. Sakura covered her ears when she heard the sound of breaking glass and softly whimpered. His large scared hand reaching out for her head, a satanic scowl resting over his face.

"Daddy please no, I'm sorry. Please daddy don't I'm sorry. Please, no!" Her scared pleas for mercy only fueling his anger.

Hastily she pulled the door shut and curled up into a ball and reached out for a peaceful sleep only to meet with the ominous nightmares that haunted her dreams ever night for the past five years. The dream she was cursed with from her father. They were back. Her periodic nightmares had stopped when they were in Suna but ever since they had moved to the hidden leaf village they had returned. Words played in her head over and over in a taunting manner.

"Born in grief raised in hate helpless to defy her fate, let her run let her live but do not let her forget what we cannot forgive."

The morning sun shone through the cracked and dirty windows spreading throughout the apartment crawling under her close's door illuminating the first few inches of her so called room.

Getting up she pulled on a black long sleeved shirt a size too big for her with her sleeves falling over her hands ending at her skinny knees. A pair of dusty sandals and tight black shorts completed her outfit. Her shirt was old and a little frayed along the edges but her dad said he didn't have the extra money to spend on her petty needs.

Most of the time she had to go out on her own and look for food. Despite her young age she could sniff out and identify edible herbs and plans, berries and roots she could have for breakfast. It was something that came with time and experience.

Hopping outside her apartment building and onto the streets she started walking twards the woods where she would be able to find something to eat. Stopping at the base of an immensely tall tree she sniffed the air. Smiling she jumped forwards and pulled out a few green stalks that looked like grass and smelled strongly. The roots were long and white. Pulling the green parts off she washed the roots in a stream and began to eat them. Shuddering a bit from the bitter taste she quickly swallowed the roots.

Tome roots were a bitter tasting herb that most people put in their tea to help someone who was sick. It was also very good for your blood and the brain. That must have been why they called them tome roots.

After finishing her roots she took a generous amount of drinking water to help wash the taste out of her mouth. "Yuck I'd rather go hungry if these things weren't so good for you," she muttered wiping her mouth.

She stood up and looked around suddenly alert. She could sense another chakra nearby. Not knowing anyone in the village she masked her own chakra and hid behind a tree.

If her father ever did something for her worth while it was teaching her to read. From there she read and learned and educated herself about thinks like chakra. Her desire was to one day become the strongest female ninja.

Peeking out from behind the tree she saw a blond haired boy with deep blue eyes walking by with his head bent downward in shame. He seemed to be coming out of the forest heading towards the village. Sakura frowned when she saw a few cuts and bruises dotting his small body. His clothes were ruffled and stained with dirt as well. No knowing anyone and little about the village she decided to follow the boy wanting to know where he was heading.

Doing that she trained the boy hiding in the shadows from trees like an unseen ghost or phantom. By this time it was late in the evening. The sun would set in a few hours locking away it's golden rays for another day.

She saw people glance at the small boy in discuses and look away like they were better than him. Why did so many people look at him like he was lower tan trash and deserved to die? She could see it in their eyes; they hated him. Some even held gazes that screamed murder.

Two men in particular held such gazes and started to follow him. Knowing what would soon befall the young boy she decided to follow them at a closer range. Just s she expected they shoved him into an ally and started to beat him up despite his screams. From the streets she could easily hear him, how come no one was helping?

Jumping forward she landed in the opening of the ally way blocking the light. "Stop it!" She commanded in her rarely used voice.

One of the men turned around still holding the bleeding boy by the neck and looked at her. "Get lost little girl." He sneered throwing the boy down.

Sakura gasped seeing the boy bleeding and hurt so much. They were going to kill him!

The other one was about to pick him up and start to beat him again but Sakura dashed forward blocking his path. Her crystal eyes were hardened with determination. She remembered how this boy felt. She had felt it once before and many times more. That was until she decided to change it.

"Get out of our way little girl, we don't want to hurt you. We just want the little runt." the first one grunted. "He's a monster now move."

Sakura growled slightly and got into her own fighting stance with her arms hanging down limply at her sides and her legs tensed and ready. She knew she didn't stand a chance and would get beaten up as well but she had to try. This boy deserved another day to find his light.

"Shannaro!"

She braced herself for another attack aimed at her chest as she skidded up to the wall a few minuets later but a voice at the end of the ally sopped the two men and sent them running the other way. Sakura sighed falling to her knees and then to her side sore and bleeding. Looking over she at the blond she could see him struggling to getting up and crawl over to her. Those few minuets of rest she gave him had given him all the time he needed to regain his fallen strength amazing.

"hey there okay pretty girl?" He asked.

Sakura flinched but nodded her small frail head not wanting to speak.

"Good my name is Naruto what's yours?"

Sakura she replied softly and calmly as the person that called out to them finally came up to them.

"Iruka sensei!" Naruto cheered despite his many wounds.

"Naruto what happened to you and this little girl?" He asked bending downne to them looking them both over. I got beat up again up by some adults and Sakura chan came and saved me!" He cried pointing to Sakura.

She smiled a bit and sat up. When she was fighting she was calm and serious but outside of that she was shy and sweet. "So your Sakura chan. I thank u for saving Naruto. I haven't seen you here in Konoha are you new here?" He asked with a soft smile.

Sakura looked up at the brown haired teacher with a scar running across his face and smiled a little. "Yes my dad and I just move here." She replied

"I thank you again for saving my student. "I'm sorry you got hurt would you like to come with me for some ramen and I'll look over you wounds?" The brown eyed teacher asked. Sakura smiled again and nodded as he helped her up.

Naruto walked with the pink haired child holding her hand and smiling like a lovesick puppy. Not wanting to let go of her hand when they got to the ramen stand he took the stool next to hers while Iruka looked over the wounds on her face and legs. She wouldn't let him look over the ones on her arms saying that they were fine and didn't healing.

The brown haired teacher ordered a bowl for both Naruto and Sakura saying that he owed her oe for saving Naruto.

Sakura broke her chopsticks apart and clumsily held them in her pale hands trying to pick up her slippery beef flavored noodles.

Naruto laughed when her chopsticks kept falling out of her hands. "Sakura chan, would you like me to help you with your chopsticks?" He asked.

Sakura blushed at her clumsiness and nodded. "Yes please."

Truth be told Sakura had only used chopsticks a handful of times in her life. Her father would never dream of taking her out to eat or even spend that much money on her. Sometimes an adult like Iruka would take pity on her and treat her out to eat.

In the end Naruto helped the pink haired Kunoichi in teaching her how to hold her chopsticks properly.

Iruka smiled at the blushing blue eyed fox boy knowing what was going through his head. Only a complete idiot wouldn't notice how much Naruto was crushing on Sakura.

"So your new here Sakura chan. If you don't mind I…uh…I could show you around some time. I've liked in Konoha all my life so I could show you around some time." Naruto stuttered playing with his noodles.

Sakura turned and smiled the blue eyed fox box "I would love that Naruto san."

"Oh no Sakura chan you don't have to be so polite with me. I don't mind at all." He said waving his hands in a childlike manner.

"Thank u Naruto kun I'll remember that for the next time. Maybe you could show me where the playground is. I would love to play there with you sometime. Naruto blushed smiling slightly at the way she said his name with the suffix at the end. She looked so cute when she talked like that and he had to suppress a squeal and squealing er to death

"I would love that too Sakura chan."

Sakura looked out of the stand towards the sky and gasped. It was almost twilight. Her father would be up soon and she didn't want to be there when he threw a fit finding her gone. "I'm sorry Iruka san Naruto kun, but I need to go home. Thank you for dinner and looking over my wounds." She quickly stated hopping off her stool and bowing goodbye"

Naruto sighed resting his head on his hands as e watched the young girl with dawn tinted locks run off. A goofy expression covering his face. "Naruto is there something wrong?" Iruka asked trying to hide the smile resting on his lips, already knowing what was wrong.

No, no nothing it wrong Iruka." Naruto sighed again

Iruka chuckled shaking his head. He paid for their meal and walked the sun haired fox carrier to his apartment.

Rushing into her apartment room Sakura quietly shut the door behind her breathing heavily and praying with all her heart that her father wasn't up. Gad must have decide to not answer her prayers this tie as she turned the corner to see her father waiting for her. The expression on his face was anything but relieved. If anything he looked ready to slaughter the small child.

"Daddy I'm sorry but I was looking for food and the boy was getting beat up and I…I just had to help him!" Sakura stuttered baking up completely frightened by the expression painted across his face that she sadly knew too well.

"What happened to your legs and your face? Someone healed you! He growled his matted red hair jumping away from his blazing eyes

"I'm sorry daddy! No on knew, no on knew." she cried desperately as a few tears spilled over her eyes falling down her terrified face.

"Your late and now thanks to you I'm going o be late for work," he hissed angrily

"But daddy you still don't need to leave for a few more minuets you still have time." She stuttered backing up and falling on to her rump

No since your late I have to punish you Sakura," he hissed his bright saffron yellow eyes flashing with a thirst for the small child's blood. As he reached down and unbuckled his thick leather belt and pulling out a small knife from his pocket.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror. "No daddy, no."

The pale girls muffled screams of pain when unheard that night as her crimson red blood spilled out onto the carpet. The red haired man exited his apartment leaving a bloody and broken child on the dirtied carpet floor stained with her own blood. Her eyes were a dull green, completely void of the cherry green laughter that once filled them.

* * *

**Home, home, this house is not a**

**Home, home, this house is not a**

**Home, home, this house is not a**

**Home, home, this house is not a home…**

* * *

**Chapter one of left in bleeding broken shards PLease review!**


	2. Play grounds

_Author's note: This took forever...ah. I'm just so glad I finished it. I hope you all like it and enjoy yourselves. I'm here to make the people happy! Flames are welcome as always. __I think this is the logest chapter I have ever submitted...and for that I give myself a cookie. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I don't think I will anytime soon so sorry but you'll just have to put up with these fanfics I keep writing.

* * *

_

**Left in Bleeding broken shards**

**By Vesper chan**

**Chapter two**

**Playgrounds**

_X_

**No matter how hard I try**

**You're never satisfied**

**This is not a home**

**I think I'm better off alone**

**You always disappear**

**Even when you're here**

**This is not my home**

**I think I'm better off alone**

**Home, home, this house is not a**

**Home, home, this house is not a home**

**X**

Sakura was too weak in the morning from loss of blood to get up so she continued to sleep throughout the day till mid afternoon. The dark red dried blood that stained her once bright bubblegum pink hair cracked as she slowly lifted her head up. Most of her small cuts were healed by now but the huge scars running along her back from last night's whipping and previous night's beatings still remained.

She slowly and gently rolled over and grabbed her black shirt and pulled it close to her pail sweating body. All she was wearing was her ripped white undershirt that exposed her scarred back and her black shorts. She would have to wrap her larger wounds the next day since she lacked the strength to at the present moment. Sakura whimpered as the soft fabric fell over her small body.

Her chapped pink lips parted letting a moan of pain escape her lips followed by some mild protests to the pain. "Ugh..."

She was still too weak to go very far so she slowly crawled into her small room/closet and shut the door. Letting her dull emerald green eyes close slowly to sleep she felt a familiar tingling sensation that occurred every time she went to sleep while wounded or bleeding. The heat that covered her body seemed to melt away replaced by a cool calming sensation. The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was a pale pink glow illuminating her sleeping quarters.

**X**

When she woke from her restless and frightening dreams Sakura could see the sun shining into her house and seeping under her door's crack. She shuddered at the smell of old dried blood flooded her room. It was very strong and yet she didn't mind it that much. It was something she was used to smelling so it didn't bother her as much as it once did.

"Ah it's morning already..." She breathed in a hushed tone.

Grabbing her black oversized shirt she pulled it over her white undershirt once more, letting it fall gingerly over the scares on her back. Surprisingly they were mostly healed and now just looked real ugly.

She crawled out of her room and into the bathroom filling the sink with water. Once full she ducked her head into the sink submerging her face in the cool liquid. There was a little bar of soap that her dad took from a public restaurant's bathroom that she used to clean her face.

Out of habit she repeated the ritual three more times. Her father used to tell her to go back into the bathroom and wash the ugliness out of her face over and over and over again. After seven or eight times he would tell her that her ugliness just didn't want to go away.

She felt sad looking at her shifting reflection in the dirty water. Even after all the lies he told her she still believed him when he told her she was ugly. A thousand people would tell her she was adorable and beautiful but she would never believe them. All it would take was one person to tell her she was ugly to convince her it was true.

"Ugly..." She murmured to herself. What was it to her?

Her skin was a creamy pail peach from lack of sunlight. In all her life she had not once ever gotten a bump or flaw in her skin aside from the scars that lay hidden all over her body. She was a very pretty girl but when she looked at herself in the dirty water she felt as dirty as the liquid she washed in.

She ran her hands through her hair combing it out stopping to untangle every clump of dried blood an knot. When she was done her rose tinted elbow length hair was a bit ruffled but much better compared to what it once was. Braiding the ends into two messy pigtails she hopped down from the step she was using to reach the sink and headed out the door.

This time she would sure to be home on time.

Her small clad feet padded noiselessly down the streets. Sakura frowned to herself when she felt her stomach growl a bit. She had been asleep for two days without food so of course her stomach was hungry but she thought with the huge meal Iruka had purchased for her yesterday she would be able to hold out for at least a few ore meals.

Sighing she headed towards the woods where she continued to nibble on nuts and roots finding a few berries for desert. The roots had very little taste to them making the berries taste even better.

After a while of walking around the woods and then the village Sakura found herself thinking about the loud blond she met yesterday. Naruto...that was his name.

Sighing she decided to turn around and walk home. Even though she had a few hours until her father woke up she decided she felt safer being closer to the psycho-deranged maniac that beat his only child.

Snuggling into her ripped pink blanket she wondered to herself while trying to keep warm.

"Did everyone hate me?"

Her father once told her that her mother died because she loved Sakura. He told her that she was cursed and that anyone who loved her would die. But Naruto didn't seem like the person to hate her, he seemed like a person who loved people despite their sins and flaws. Maybe just maybe he or someone els in this village could feel that way towards her despite what she was.

All the thinking seemed to tire her out so she decided to close her eyes and welcome the ever looming sleep that came filled with with dreams to take her completely over. The rabidly healing cuts on her arm were the last thing her sea foam green eyes saw before closing in sleep.

**X**

The next day a bright blue eyed Naruto strolled down the street with his father like friend Iruka by his side. The blond haired boy didn't dare stroll down the streets so publicly during the daytime due to the demonic nine tailed fox resting dormant within his body that so many people hated with a passion.

With Iruka by his side the hateful glares remained just glares and nothing more. Sometimes during the twilight Naruto would dare to go out by himself and wander the lonely streets or play on the playground.

"Where are we going today Iruka sensei?" He asked smiling a bright smile that would give rock lee a run for him money.

"Didn't you say you wanted to Ramen Naruto?" Asked his fatherly teacher.

"Yahoo!" The blue eyed boy cried jumping into the air and pumping his fist joyously. "I haven't had ramen since I saw Sakura chan."

The two people besides Iruka that didn't hate Naruto were the Ramen stand owners due to the good business from the bottomless pit he called a stomach. At this late in the afternoon not many people were there, giving the Naruto and Iruka the whole stand. At least that was what they thought until a pair of older chunin rank ninja promenaded into the stand falling into their seats roughly. The seemingly older of the two who looked in no way somber began to glance over at the blond fox boy and mumbled something to his friend.

"What are they doing here?" The first man asked the elderly man behind the counter in a grumpy mood, most likely from the handover that was coming on.

"They're eating, nothing wrong with that." He replied calmly.

"Don't you even know who the runt is? He shouldn't be alive let alone enjoying himself in the same ramen stand as me and Keio." he slurred angrily.

"Is there something you want to say? Iruka asked standing up, looking very intimidating.

"Yeah I have something to say," he said standing up as well. "That boy should be locked up and never released. The demon kit will never be welcomed or respected in Konoha or anywhere!" His protests were silenced by a hard punch to the jaw by the leaf village teacher.

"Naruto you shouldn't let what that guy said get to…oh no Naruto!" He cried finding and empty seat in place of the blue eyed fox boy.

Naruto had left the second the inebriated man had complained to the ramen stand owner about his presence saving his ears the punishing words that he so often heard in the eyes of almost everyone Naruto was running through the streets blindly when he stumbled into something and fell back landing on his rump.

"Naruto kun?" someone asked.

Naruto looked up to find the bright green eyes filled with affection staring back at him. "Oi hi Sakura chan. What are you doing here?" He asked with a slight laugh rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm just out for a walk. What are you doing running through the streets crying?" She asked reaching down and helping the blushing boy up.

"Crying? I wasn't crying. The future Hokage never cries!" He proudly proclaimed beating his chest and striking a funny pose trying to cover up his red tear stained eyes.

"Naruto kun I saw you." Sakura said arching an eyebrow.

"Huh I don't know Sakura chan...I...I'm just tired of being hated I guess." He sighted sadly looking down."I will always be hated. Everyone hates me it seems..."

Sakura's eyes softened when she heard him. He sounded so much like her. "I don't know why people hate me." He coninued

"I don't hate you Naruto kun." She replied with a soft reassuring smile that made the blond's heart melt into a pile of goo. "And besides it shouldn't matter whether those people hate you or not. It's all about you Naruto kun. All you have to do is give them a while to see who you really are and no one will be able to resist liking you. It's much better to be and think about the people that don't hate you than the people that do right?"

Hearing those words Naruto's eyes widened with delight, "Thank you Sakura chan!" he exclaimed glomping her in a big bear hug."That's just what I needed to hear."

Sakura laughed and tried to wriggle out of his grasp. "Naruto kun…I can't breath." she squeaked as he released her. She giggled at his sheepish expression "How about we go to the park and play today?"

**X**

Meanwhile on the other side of town a raven haired boy was out walking with his older brother as his idol talked to him about things he would have to ascertain to become a ninja. He hung on each and every word as if they were to determine his ultimate fate. He always loved these rare times he could spend with his nii san, just the two of them. Ever since the elder of the two was promoted to Jonin level these moments slowly faded to less and less until they became almost nothing more than a memory.

His brother was explaining chakra control when an ANBU in a red and white hawk mask came requesting his presence on another urgent mission. Sasuke's face fell as his older brother flicked his head and left with the ANBU. Feeling sad and alone he decided to walk towards the park. His Nii san would most likely head over to the Hokage tower, get his report, come home and pack and then pick him up before he left on another mission. That was how it always was.

He found his feet pulling him in the direction of the village's park, a place he favored ever since he was old enough to walk on his own. Aside from that this was one of the places his fan-girls didn't come to too often. Something about the sand and dirt making them look bad in front of him. Once or twice one would dare to cross the line into the messy area but if she did Sasuke would just move to a section with a lot of mud and dirt, turning his back towards her. At least he could do that.

On his way there he heard the annoying dobe as he called him shouting about something. Putting on his I'm-so-much-cooler-than-you face he turned around to face the blond. "Hello Naruto," he coolly stated. Trying to act like his older brother Itachi.

Naruto came up and stopped with Sakura behind him out of Sasuke's sight. "Sasuke," he spat facing his rival and somewhat friend.

"What are you doing here?" The cold Uchiha asked lazily acting cool.

Naruto growled at his cold attitude but calmed himself for Sakura's sake. "I'm taking my friend to the playground." He hotly replied as Sakura stepped out from behind him.

Sasuke for a few seconds lost his cool attitude when he saw the pink haired child standing behind his rival. He thought she was so cute with her high collar black shirt hiding her smile and her wide emarld orbs perfectly almond shaped. "We…well I was heading over there myself, you want to come with me?" He asked suddenly turning into a perfect gentleman.

"No thanks Sasuke we can play by ourselves." Naruto replied a triumphant grin crossing onto his face as he started to walk away with Sakura holding his hand.

"Wait Naruto, I want to play with you too Please can I play with you?" He pleaded, something Naruto had never see him do.

Looking over at Sakura and then back and Sasuke he sighed in defeat. "Grr…alright I guess you can." He reluctantly admitted pulling the green eyes child closer to him and away from his rival.

"Hello I'm Sasuke, what's your name?" Sasuke asked jogging up next to the pink haired girl.

"My name is Sakura she replied quietly with calm eyes. Sasuke was a little shocked yet thrilled that she didn't start squealing and chasing him like another one of his annoying fan girls.THat and she was going to the playground with him, a place most girls feared to tread when around him.

"Yeah yeah she knows your name now can we get going?" Naruto asked butting in and pulling Sakura along at a faster pace. Sakura chuckled a little smiling as the trio headed off towards the huge playground he loved so much.

Upon reaching the playing field a sly smile crawled across the young girl's hidded lips as she snuck up behind her blue eyed friend. Sakura gently pushed Naruto throwing him off balanced shouting 'tag' and running off.

Sasuke had rushed after the pink haired girl but Naruto tackled him to the ground shouting tag loudly in his ear before hopping off to look for Sakura chan. Sasuke growled and chased after Naruto not wanting him to find her before him.

Meanwhile Sakura had doubled back running towards the front of the park jumping onto the gymnasium and hanging from it like a monkey, her long braided hair fell away from her face almost touching the ground. She smiled waiting for the boys to find her. It wasn't long until the roar of their arguing voices could be heard.

She snickred to herself when Sasuke pushed Naruto down and ran towards the gymanium climbing up behing Sakura. The said girl smiled again and waited for Naruto still upside down and hanging by her legs.

Hey no fair, you know I can't climb up the gymnisiam Naruto shouted from his spot on the ground pouting with his arms crossed over his chest. Sasuke just smirked and climbed closer to Sakura.

"Naruto kun if you wast to become Hokage you need to be able to climb the gynimisiam," Sakura said encouraging the young boy. "Just think of it as a training session."

Naruto smiled and turned a little pink as the encouragement he received from his crush and started to climb. Soon he was all the way at the top shouting joyously. "I did it I did it Sakura chan I did it!"

"Yeah you did Naruto kun." Sakura laughed untangling her legs agiley and dropping to the ground with a flip. "Now you have to climb down and catch us!"

Sasuke turned around and shot a smug grin over his shoulder as he chased after the pink haired girl. Seeing this Naruto became enraged. Sasuke had hundreds of fan girls and he didn't like any of them. Why did he have to like to one girl that made him feel that he was really above trash? Filled with another power he let up from the gymnasium and landed swiftly on his feet falling into an agile fox like position.

Sasuke saw Naruto following him and Sakura and decided to speed up. Despite his efforts The blue eyed boy over took him and tacked the Uchiha down into the dirt and letting lose a goofy war cry returned to his normal hyper goofy self.

"Naruto..." The young Uchiha growled.

The rest off the day the trio spent their time laughing and tagging on another with Sakura blissfully unaware of the rivalry between the two boys. It was almost twilight when Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto were resting under the creaky play bridge. Outside two figures were calling the names of both boys. Iruka placed his hands on his hips and sighed when he heard Naruto shout in reply. The eldest Uchiha was calling to his younger brother who was also crawling out.

"What were you doing Naruto?" Iruka asked slightly annoyed at his behavior.

"We were just playing tag." Naruto chirped happily.

"You two…together?" The brown haired teacher asked in disbelief. He was very aware of the rivalry going on between the two boys and found it odd that they were playing with each other.

Iruka's head turned towards the Sasuke's brother Itachi when he grunted before pointing over towards the bridge where Sakura was crawling out. She looked up to see everyone staring at her and suddenly she felt scared. Shrinking back she held her arms up over her chest. Why was everyone staring at her? Did they want to hurt her? She remembered Iruka from when he took her and Naruto out for lunch but there was another person there stnding next to him in uniform.

Naruto was about to ask Iruka something when a bark from behind made the pink haired child pale everyone turned to see a gruff looking man dressed in a loose black long sleeved shirt and some wrinkled tan pants. His hair was a crust red like the color of dried blood and his piercing saffron yellow eyes flashed brightly.

"Sakura!" He bared again with an angry growl. "I told you to be home before twilight. I had to get up and look for you."

Sakura shook a little bowing her head. "I'm sorry father. I didn't notice how late it was." She replied keeping her eyes glued to the ground that, all of a sudden, seemed very interesting.

"It's late, we need to go home now." He gruffly replied glancing over at the other adults and little boys. "You have work tomorrow, no play."

Sakura nodded and started to follow her father home not bothering to cast even a glance over at her friends. She knew what waited for her at home. When he said '_work_' and '_no_ _play_' together like that it meant '_You'll be too sore from beatings to move.'_

Iruka frowned deeply. He could see from Sakura's reaction that her father was not a loving one. Sasuke's older brother Itachi noticed it as well although neither one voiced his thoughts.

"Buy guys." She softly whispered before running up to trail behind her father with a melancholy expression.

**X**

_Nah, (big sigh) I'm finally done with this chapter. Here this if for all the wonderful people out there that reviewed the first chapter._

_I think the beginning was a bit dry but I'm too lazy to go back and change it, sorry._

_Thank you so very much for taking the time to comment me on this story, you have no idea how happy you made me. (I'm one of those weird freaks that gets high on sugar and screams happily for such reasons.) If you have a question ask it in a review and I'll try to answer it in the next chapter._

**X**

**Fluff** **lover**, I'm glad you think it's cute, Even though there is a darker side to it.

**Angel2559**, I Like the song too and yes it is from Three days grace. That band is awsome. So as you can see here is the update!

**JadeXOnyx**-**4ever **Sakura was beaten as you can see due to her father, the sick evil bastard. I know a lot of people think it's a littl bit much for a father to do but look a Gaara's dad. Didn't he try to kill his son?

**Silent Kunoichi aka.** **Fiona **Here is the more you wanted added so soon. -

**dbzgtfan2004 **Yeah I really like the Sakura Naruto pairing and I added a bit more in this chapter along with some Sasuke. I'm not a big fan of the chicken but haired dude but when he was little he wasn't that bad. More Naruto to come don't worry.

**Nickwizzard **I was thinking about getting a beta but I really want to do this story on my own ability. For me it would feel weird to share my story with someone else unless I knew them really really well. But thank you so much for the advice, I wouldn't mind it even if you did flame me.

**Shadow** **Quil **Thank you for taking the time to comment me, I'm looking forward to the next chapter of _Change._

**Shurikengrl **Ah! I almost made you cry! Wow, (dose little happy dance) I almost cried with joy when I heard that! Thank you so much for saying that and I hope this next chapter is to your liking.

**oO Yasu Yukiko Oo **No Sakura is now six, she was five when she met Haku during the winter times and she was five when she met Gaara, and then six when she left Gaara and moved out of Suna since she spent the late winter and beginning of spring with him. It is now mid spring in the hidden leaf village. Yes I will keep writing don't worry. I really like the plot I have in mind for this one and plan to see it through. I'm glad you like it too.

**my lil' cherry blossom **I'm so happy you liked it. Here is your update.

**DarkwingDuck-L.g.d. **Yes Sakura has a dark life, that is why she can relate so well to Naruto, Gaara, and all the other boys that will pop up in this story.(Whops did I just leak a spoiler?)

**SpeedDemon315 **Thanks so much for reviewing and waiting for this to come out. Yeah Sakura's dad is one rotten crap apple. The reason for that will be revieled later on. Something happened to him in his past that mad him snap and go all pysco.

**Orrin** Sorry if it's a little dark but I did want to put Sakura through something that would help her to better understand the pain Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, and a few other boys are going through. Gaara's dad kept trying to kill him when he was only six and soooooooo adorable. I mean who could be so sick as to harm lil old Gaara, he was irresistibly cute. (hugs Gaara plushie) Some people out there are just sick, Sakura's dad is one of 'em. Thank you for reviewing.

X


	3. friends & fights

Yes an Update! I wasn't going to update this so soon but I think it's time for an update. Sorry for such the long wait. Any questions you all have I will try to answer as long as you ask me in a review.

Note to BlackBelt sama: This chapter is dedicated to you for your awesome review. The part at the end with the bitch fight reminded me of you so it's only appropriate I dedicate this chapter to you. deep bow I don't put myself on the same earth as you. Thank you for your review and here is your chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…if I did there would be some major changes.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**No matter how hard I try  
You're never satisfied  
This is not a home  
I think I'm better off alone  
You always disappear  
Even when you're here  
This is not my home  
I think I'm better off alone  
Home, home, this house is not a  
Home, home, this house is not a**

**I0I**

Sakura did not emerge from her home for the next two days still too sore from her beatings to move more than a few feet. A few days later Sakura stepped out of the run down apartment building in the darker part of town. Today she wore the same outfit only washed so it didn't smell like blood.

Her stomach growled begging for food. It was already past noon and she hadn't eaten anything for the past two days. Her father told her they couldn't afford food so she would have to find it own her own. Funny how they couldn't afford food but they could afford all of his smokes and drinks.

Bending underneath a bush on top of a hill not to far away from home she spotted the yellow and white flowers and smiled. "found you!" she cooed to the flowers with a bright smile.

Digging some of the soil away she found the red delectable berries still on the vine.

Sadly there were only a few so after they were gone she was still faintly hungry. She sighted sadly. "At least there better than nothing." She thought.

She was licking the stray juices off her fingers when she heard someone coming up the hill she was sitting on. It was a dark haired woman with dark onyx eyes. Her garments were light in color and traditional in style. Around her arms was a tan woven basket holding all sorts of brightly colored flowers that grew along the hillsides. "Oh hello there. What is a pretty girl like yourself doing all the way out here all by herself? The kind woman asked lowering her basket of colorful wildflowers.

"Oh, ohayo-gozaimasu miss my name is Sakura. I was just up here eating some of these strawberries," she replied shyly with a faint smile hoping she wasn't in trouble.

"Oh you shouldn't be eating strawberries without washing them Sakura chan. My name is Mikoto Uchiha."

"Oh um, I don't mind if there dirty. They still taste the same to me."

The dark eyed woman blink to herself in mild bewilderment before replying. "No Sakura chan, I mean if you eat them before washing them you could get sick. I'm certain your parents wouldn't want that."

Hearing the word parents Sakura flinched. Lowering her head she let her eyes dull. Mikoto saw this and asked the rose haired child a question. "Sakura chan where are your parents?"

"Oh…my father? I don't know, my dad is at work right now and I don't know where exactly he works." Sakura lied not wanting to tell her he worked at a bar at night.

"Where is your mother?

"Mother?" Sakura asked as if the word were completely foreign to her ears. "A mother…I never had one. My dad said she died when I was born." She replied sadly a stray tear falling down her perfectly smooth cheek.

Looking at her Mokoto was shocked at how dull and emotionless her large green eyes seemed. Seeming to hold an intense amount of inward pain and anguish. "Oh I'm so sorry for you. It must be hard to grow up without a mother. Especially for a girl so young of age."

Sakura was about to say something when her stomach growled and moaned loudly still hungry. Blushing she hugged her gut willing it to remain silent.

"Sakura cha are you hungry?" The black eyed woman asked with a slight laugh. Sakura nodded slightly blushing even more. Mikoto was having a hard time stooping herself from picking up the rose haired child and shouting 'KAWAII' she was so adorable. "How about I treat You out to some nice tasty sushi with my son eh? I'm sure he would like the company. Would you like that?"

"Thank you I would really like that."

A little boy with black hair and dark onyx eyes stood with his hands in his pockets shuffling his feet back and forth in the dirt obviously waiting for someone. His expression was clearly one of loneliness as a small frown played at his lips. This changed however when the Uchiha woman called out to him with a smile. "Sasuke kun!"

"Mommy! I was waiting so long for you. What took you so long?" Sasuke asked with a smile happy to see his mother.

"I'm sorry honey I found one extra flower and thought I'd bring it with us to eat" She laughed pulling Sakura out from behind her leg.

Sasuke's curious expression turned to one of pure delight and glee seeing Sakura. Sakura chan!" He exclaimed jumping up and squeezing her in a huge bone crushing hug.

"H…hello Sasuke kun." Sakura stuttered trying to breath.

"Mommy she's the one I played with the other day, you know the one I told you about!" Sasuke cried pointing to Sakura without releasing his possessive hug on the green eyed girl.

"Well that's beautiful How about we all eat tighter now?" She replied Sasuke on and on bout Sakura

Sasuke took Sakura's hand and led her into the sushi stand happily. The young raven haired boy seated Sakura between his other and himself taking her left side.

"What would you like Sakura chan?" Asked Mikoto.

"Um I'll have whatever Sasuke kun is having. She replied completely clueless never being to a sushi bar. Mikoto bit her bottom lip and quietly squealed to herself the small child was so cute when she was confused. Sasuke also smiled feeling proud that Sakura chan was ordering the same thing as him.

Sasuke's mom smiled blissfully to herself as the two ate tighter already planning on hocking the two young ones up .'Their children will be so cute!' She though already planning out their futures, including their weeding, honey moon and so on and so forth.

"So, what were you doing on that hill when mom found you Sakura chan?" Sasuke asked between bites of food, not bothering to wait till it was fully chewed to speak.

"I was eating berries. What were you doing?"

"I was waiting for my mom and I guess you so that I could eat."

"All by yourself?"

"Yup, why do you ask?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders up and down and turned back towards her food. "I guess maybe 'cause… that means you were alone. Being alone must have been …sad." She relied failing to find any other word to describe the feeling other than sad.

"Yeah but weren't you alone?" Sasuke asked coxing his head to the side in a cute manner as he asked the pink haired child his question.

Sakura blushed a bit to herself and shook her head. "Yeah I was alone but I have always end up alone so I'm used to it. It doesn't bother me anymore."

"Sakura chan…you were alone too?" Sasuke asked in surprise as his eyes grew wide with shock directed at the girl sitting next to him.

"Oh…um yeah I guess so. But please don't worry about me, I don't want you to." Sakura replied shaking her head with her eyes squeezed tight as she waved her arms in front of her face.

"Um Sakura chan….w…what did you mean when you said you always end up alone?" Sasuke asked stuttering a bit as a hint of pink crossed over his face.

Sakura looked down at her hands and sadly smiled. "I meant exactly what I said, that I always end up alone. I used to have friends in other villages but I had to leave them all the time since me and my dad move around a lot so I always have to leave them."

Sasuke looked a little scared when Sakura looked over at him and panicked a bit thinking that something was wrong with him. "Sasuke…kun…? Are you alright Sasuke kun?"

Sakura squeaked in surprise when he sprang forward and wrapped his arms around her small body.

"Sasuke kun?" She asked again in confusion at his actions.

"I don't want you to ever leave Sakura chan. I want you to stay here forever and never ever leave me. I don't want either of us to be alone 'cause if we are both alone tighter we don't have to suffer from the loneness. I don't want you to ever leave me Sakura chan."

"I don't want to ever leave you either Sasuke kun. I….I don't want to ever move again. It hurts too much to be alone and if I move again that is what will happen to me. I don't want to ever leave you and Naruto kun or this village." Sakura responded slowly and softly still a bit in shock from his sudden hug.

Sasuke scrunched up his face a bit and looked at her weirdly a bit before talking. "I don't mind if you have to leave that dumb Naruto but I don't want you to leave me Sakura chan."

In the background where the Uchiha mother was sitting she smiled brightly to herself as she listened in on their conversation. 'That's it Sasuke, fight for your girl!'

Sakura blushed a bit but broke out into a gentle laugh that rang in his ears like the melody of bells, making him smile as well. He liked her smile and now that he heard it he loved her laugh.

When Sakura was finished with the last of her food and was getting down from her high stool with Sasuke's help. The youngest Uchiha blushed and looked away at the small girl's touch.

Sakura was thanking Sasuke when a still feeling on the back of her neck caught her attention. She shook a little and wrapped her arms around her small body.

Sakura chan what's wrong? Are you cold?" He asked concerned.

"I…I think…no. It's nothing Sasuke kun," She replied shaking the feeling off.

"Oh Okay!" he chipped happily as his mother emerged after paying for their meal.

"Um…uh S…Sakura chan do you want to hang out with me and my mom today if you don't have any plans for the rest of the day. We have stuff we need to do later before twilight but until then you can hand out with us until then." Sasuke asked speeding up the last part.

"I would love to Sasuke kun, just as long as I get home before twilight." She replied cutely turning her head to the one side letting a few stray locks that framed her face fall out from their position tucked behind her ear.

Sasuke cheered happily latching on to her arm and hugging it. In his mind thinking, 'Ha ,my Sakura chan will be with me all day and I'll be sure we don't run into that dobe Naruto.'

"Sasuke are you okay you had a weird possesive-never-gonna-let-go-of-something look on your face."

"What? Oh no it's nothing Sakura chan. Come on let's go."

Sakura Skipped home humming to herself with a bright smile. She still had around an hour left before she need to be home but Sasuke and him mom had plans so she decided to leave them to that. (Despite the face that Sasuke didn't want to let go of her waist.) She could have sworn She heard him shouteing something along the lines of 'no my Sakura chan' or something like that when his mother dragged him away.

"He's funny." She laughed remembering the look on his face as he struggled under his mother's iron grasp.

Her thoughts were, wherever, interrupted but a annoying bark directed towards her. "Hey you pinky!" A girl with bright blond hair and icy blue eyes barked placing her hands on her hips with a scowl.

"Yes?" Sakura asked gently, missing the death glares she and the girl standing next to the blond were shooting her. There was a third person behind them but she seemed to shy to do anything. Sakura didn't take any deep notice of either's clothing other than the blond wore mostly purple and the girl with black hair wore mostly navy blue.

"Don't play dumb with us pinky," The girl with long black hair and cold fiery eyes sneered. "We all saw you with our Sasuke kun a few minuets ago so don't deny it."

"I don't deny it. Sasuke kun and I were together with his mother a few minuets ago." Sakura replied completely oblivious to the killing intent that surrounded the two girls.

"You little bitch! Did you hear what she just said Ami. Did you hear the way she talked to us about our Sasuke kun. Like she knows him or something!" The blond screeched to Ami like some obnoxious animal.

"The little tramp, how dare she act like she knows our Sasuke kun. There is no way we can let this sin go unpunished Ino." The girl named Ami replied talking to the blond who Sakura guess was named Ino.

"Um My name is Sakura in case you were wondering. Do you guys know Sasuke kun too? Maybe you guys could play with Sasuke kun and I the next time we go to the park or something."

Ino and Ami instantly ceased their hissing and stiffly turned towards the pink haired girl like she was a weak demon about to be punished for a thousand years of evil deeds. "What… did you say." Ino asked

"Oh well Sasuke likes to play at the park but he doesn't like playing alone so he asked me if we could play together one day and you know what they say the more the merrier." Sakura replied smiling.

"That's it! You can't go anywhere near our Sasuke kun you little bitch!" Ami screamed her face turning red. She had asked Sasuke if he liked to play on the playground with her but he told her he didn't like that place. She realized that it wasn't the place Sasuke didn't like but the person he would want to go with.

"Hinata, this is your last test in order to join our group. You have to make sure this bitch knows her place and doesn't see out Sasuke kun ever again!" Ino said pulling a white eyed girl out from behind her and throwing her forward with a gruff rudeness.

"H…h-hai Ino sama, Ami sama." The blue haired girl stuttered stumbling forward her fingers playing with one another. By the way she was shaking Sakura could guess that this girl was nervous and scared.

Sakura smile brightly running up to the stuttering girl and extending her hand. "Hey there Hinata, you're really cute when you play with your fingers like that! Would you like to be my friend?"

The white eyed girl gasped and froze in shock. Someone was asking her to be their friend. No one asked her to be their friend. It was always the other way around. She turned around and stared at Ino and Ami, they simply glared at her in a highly threatening manner.

"Well what are you doing just standing there like that, waste her!" Ino shouted.

"Do it or else we won't be your friend and you'll be alone again. Is that what you want?" Asked Ami.

"N…n-no." Hinata stuttered back in response.

"Then do as we say!" Ino sneered.

The white eyed heiress looked at Ami and Ino and then at Sakura who still stood there with her hand outstretched. She couldn't hurt this girl, she didn't deserve it.

"N…no!" Hinata cried squeezing her eyes shut and clamping her hands over her ears. "I…I can't do it! It's not right."

"We didn't ask you if it was right we told you to do it!" Ami shrieked

"Ah cut the crap if you can't do it I will!" Ino snarled walking forward and slapping Sakura harshly across the cheek sending her off balance. Hinata gasped as Sakura fell to the ground clutching her cheek in surprise. But other than that she didn't move or attempt to stand up again.

"And for you…"the blond snarled turning towards Hinata with her icy blue eyes gleaming in anger. "How dare you betray us and then disobey our orders after everything we did for you. Is that the thanks we get for befriending you huh?"

Ino raised her hand to slap Ino and Hinata covered her face with her hands in fear, waiting to be struck down. The slap never came.

"What the?" Ino stuttered trying to pull her arm out of the green eyed girl's grasp that held fast to her wrist like iron. "Who do you think you are you bitch?"

"I told you, my name is Sakura and I am Hinata's friend. I don't really care if you hit me it doesn't hurt that much but if you try to hurt my friends I won't hold back."

Ami shuddered at the look in Sakura's eyes as she held onto her friends arm. It was clearly sending a message to the two of them. 'Back off before I make you.'

"You two really are pathetic, picking on the weakness of other and using it for your own gain is unforgivable. What you did to Hinata was wrong and I won't let either of you two harm her ever again." Sakura coldly stated throwing Ino's arm down and sending her into the dirt. "Don't you dare mess with my friends you bitches or else I'll kick your sorry asses all the way into the next village. Hinata is done taking your shit for you."

Ino shivered holding her throbbing wrist close to her chest and glared hard at the pink haired girl standing over her. "Whatever, we're going. Come on Ami!"

The black haired girl helped her friend up and the two of them sprinted a few year before turning around to shout something back to the green eyed girl. "You better watch your back Sakura, this isn't over." Ami shouted.

"Count on it bitches!" Sakura shouted back letting out all her pent out anger that had been harbored in her heart ever since the first time her father hit her. The result was Ino and Ami running off like a heard of demons were hot on their heels.

Sakura turned towards Hinata who was still shaking from the close encounter with the blond and smiled brightly. "Hey Hinata are you okay, I hope those creeps didn't scare you too much. You don't have to worry about them anymore as long as I'm around. You're me friend and I always protect my friends."

"Friend…? A…are you r-really my friend now Sakura san?" She stuttered a bit amazed.

"Yeah you can count on it, but on thing we need to fix is that name you have for me. Don't call me Sakura san, is sounds like you don't know me. Call me Sakura chan, that's what all my other friends call me."

"Ah…o-okay Sakura c-chan." Hinata stuttered with a small smiled gracing her light pink lips. "You're my f-friend now."

"That's right!" Sakura cheered rubbing a bit of the dirt of her sore cheek.

A few tears gathered around the corners of the white eyed girl's eyes and she sniffed. She was so happy someone wanted to be her friend out of their own free will and not because she would work for them. That was a true friend, and she found one. She never thought the was someone alive out there caring enough to except her into their hearts. It was no wonder Sasuke liked Sakura chan so much. It was hard not to.

"Come on I have some time before I need to go home, let's go play."

"Ah, h-hai Sakura chan." Hinata squeaked shyly as Sakura grabbed her hand and began to drag her off in the direction of the playground. Her smile grew thinking about how she had finally found someone who wanted to be her friend for no other reason other than she wanted to. She felt so happy all of a sudden.

'Thank you Sakura chan.'

* * *

Haha Chapter three. It's late sorry. Please review!

ja ne


	4. Thank you

_I was_ _going to wait on updateing this but I liked all the reviews I got so I decided to update sooner than I normaly would. PLease read and review, (Flames welcome.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Naruto, not even Naruto's cute little froggy chan money purse. (Sniff) _

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**I'm better off alone  
No matter how hard I try  
You're never satisfied  
This is not a home  
I think I'm better off alone  
You always disappear  
Even when you're here  
This is not my home  
I think I'm better off alone  
**

* * *

Naruto whined, squirming in his seat as Iruka glared down at him with a threatening stare. 

"I'm sorry Iruka, I promise I won't do it again." The blond fox boy whined pleading with his big blue glistening eyes that seemed to get him out of anything.

Iruka sighed and rubbed his neck hating how he always fell for the cuteness. He did after all have a soft spot for the mistreated fox container. "Yeah, yeah Naruto just please try and stay out of trouble for today at least. I have a lot of work here that has to be done and it's not going to do it's self."

"But Iruka if you won't play with me…" Naruto began before the sound of the door creaking open silenced the words still lingering upon his lips. His cerulean blue eyes narrowed slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "What are you doing here Sasuke teme?"

Sasuke stopped in the doorway for a second a little surprised to see Naruto in the empty classroom before his eyes narrowed as well into dangerous slits. "I could ask you the same thing baka."

"I sitting down in this chair, what dose it look like?"

"It looks like your moping around like a little baby." Sasuke shot back turning his head away from the angered blond while walking up to Iruka.

"Yes Sasuke san, what can I do for you today?" Iruka asked with a smile despite the tension that choked the room between the two rivaling boys.

"Iruka sensei you're the teacher here at the academy so you should know all the kids that come here and everyone who is going to come here right?" Sasuke asked.

Iruka nodded in reply. "Yes Sasuke that is correct."

"Then that should mean you would know where all the kids live, like me and Naruto, I know you know where we live 'cause you stopped by to visit us right?"

"Oh yeah that's right…I have a directory with all the kids addresses right here. Is there a certain someone you are looking for?"

"Uh huh. Do you know where Sakura chan lives? I want to stop by and ask her to play." Sasuke asked with a bright smile, eager to receive the desired information.

Naruto's glare intensified tenfold.

"Hold it right there Sasuke teme! You can't have Sakura chan's address!" Naruto shouted jumping up and pointing an accusing finger at the young raven haired Uchiha.

"And why is that dobe?" Sasuke asked in anger as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Because Sakura chan is my friend. Get it, MINE!" Naruto yelled angrily jumping up onto his chair.

"No she isn't!" Sasuke yelled back.

"Yes she is and you can't have her!"

"Yes I can, YOU can't have her!"

"But she's mine. Get it mine."

"No she's mine, you can't have her."

"No mine, mine, mine, MINE! Sakura chan is mine!"

"You don't own her!"

"Oh yeah, Sakura chan and I went out on a date and ate ramen, ha teme!"

"Oh yeah I can beat that, Sakura chan and I went out on a date and ate sushi! Nah!"

"But I knew her first and that means I knew her longer."

"So I know her better 'cause we talked a lot!"

"Who cares Sakura chan and I look better together."

"No you don't Sakura chan and I look better together!"

"Nu uh you look like a-"

"Okay you too quiet down." Iruka interrupted a little annoyed by all the noise. "You too can continue this argument outside for all I care by I really need to get this work done. Okay, you guys understand?"

Naruto huffed and turned away as Sasuke did the same. Iruka sighed at the boys immature actions, over a girl no less. That really surprised his since Naruto thought all girls had cooties or something and avoided them all together and Sasuke thought they were just plain annoying how they followed him around squealing and giggling all the time.

"I'm sorry but Sakura doesn't go to this school and I don't know her last name so I don't know where she lives now will you two please take this outside?"

Naruto grumbled something under his breath but nodded and started dragging his feet towards to door. Sasuke nodded sourly but did the same. "Kids these days." Iruka chuckled before turning back to his work.

Back at her apartment room her father was up and fiddling with an amulet with an intricate design of an upside-down crescent moon behind a black sword stabbed through the middle of a heart.

The same symbol was tattooed onto his neck when he turned seven from his clan's elder and the same design was passed down to his daughter though not yet visible it would soon be. She was already feeling it's effects.

Soon he would see how powerful she really was.

"How powerful have you become my little daughter of death." He snickered his teeth flashing in the darkness through a smile. "We'll find out tonight…"

**X**

**Many hours later**

**X**

The darkness was thick and strong enough to swallow the lap lights that were few and far between. It was a Crescent moon so little light was shed from the sky and it's stars.

Two figures walked through this darkness heading towards the lower side of the village. One was tall and well built and the second was rather short and scrawny. The second figure was dragging herself mostly as if in great pain. It was evident from the bruises and cuts on her body she wasn't in the best health.

Walking home Sakura's father was snickering to himself as his weary and bloody daughter dragged herself along, completely exhausted. Her father was holding a fairly large sack filled with money he won on bets he placed when Sakura won. Sticking his hand into the sack and letting the bills pass between his fingers, he snickered to himself again. The satanic old man planed on sending his only child to many more illegal underground fights in the future.

"…Daddy…please…" Sakura coughed as she staggered behind her father. Soon the stain on her body was too much and she finally wore out and fell over unconscious. A trail of crimson blood beginning to pool around her crumpled body, snaking away in small streams.

"Damn weak child can't walk home after a few fights." Her father groaned picking her up by the back of her shirt and tossed her on to his back like one would a sack of potatoes. The treatment she received when they got back was not too different; to drop her just as roughly when they reached the dirty apartment that served as their home.

Once alone her arms began to glow pink and started to heal. Her now sea foam green eyes rolled and darted back and forth under her eyelids as her mind wandered in to the dark hallways of another one of her dreams.

**X**

"**There is a army on the north side, around 300 strong warriors all fully armed and another on the south side with only 150." A random solder stated standing in the doorway of a pitched tent. Sakura couldn't see his face, it was blurred from her vision. He was dressed in a type of lower samurai armor. And carried a sword at his side, ready for a possible attack.**

"**I'll take the one on the north side, you and your men take the one on the south side." Said a slender female fully clad in tight black clothing. **

**Two servant girls rushed to her side and started to strap layer upon layer of red and white samurai armor around her body. A pink Sakura flower was painted on her breastplate symbolizing the short life she was destined to most likely live being what she was, a samurai. She reached forward and grabbed her katanas and strapped them to her waist. Two long curled, cherry pink locks of hair fell around her face as her helmet was set upon her head.**

**She pulled back the flap to her tent and exited the large dwelling, stepping out into the early morning air. She mounted a pure black stallion, that nickered softly in delight, and turned her purple/pink eyes towards the north where 30 full armed men awaited the taste of her blades. The scent of blood soon to fill the air with it's heavy stench.**

'**Shannaro**!'

**X**

Sakura groaned and sat up letting her fuzzy vision re-adjust to her surrounds. She yawned and lifted her arm above her head in a stretch but winced as pain rippled through her body at raising her arm so high. Still she was surprised she had healed so much in only a few hours worth of time. Pulling her arm gently down she let her wide emerald green eyes foam over her pale porcelain smooth flesh. It still had may scars from previous beating but it was now void of any fresh cuts or scratches.

"That's good." She whispered to herself offering up and small, almost sad, smile at the thought of even having marks on her arms in the first place.

Deciding that too much time indoors would not be healthy for her already weak body Sakura shakily stumbled to her feet and wobbled towards the door. Dwelling in the dark gloomy apartment that smelled of dried blood was not something she was fond of and tried to avoid at all costs. So even if she were in slight pain she would make every effort to spending so much time here.

She giggled slightly to herself as the cool afternoon breeze swept over her face, dancing through her silky pink tresses with a lively excitement only something as free and bold as the wind could possess. With a bounce in her steep she skipped down the streets letting her feet carry her wherever they may.

She never noticed how her surrounding seemed to instantly shift to the upper class with larger homes and more expensive shops. The people she passed were even dressed better in more traditional clothing of silk and other expensive fabrics.

Turning a corner Sakura departed from the main street down a pathway that seemed more peaceful and serene than the rest of the streets. Taking her walk step by step she lightly tread down the road approaching another turn when a white blur darted out in front of her catching her by surprise. She squeaked out in surprise as the blur collided with her sending her backwards into the dust.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. Are….are y-you okay?" A small boy with chocolate brown hair and pearl white eyes asked scrambling to his feet and holding out his hand to help Sakura up.

'Pearl white eyes, just like Hinata' she though.

Sakura coughed clearing her throat of the ever present dust and blindly excepted the outstretched hand in front of her. "No no it was my fault I wasn't watching where I was going I'm really sorry." She stuttered weakly as the boy brought her to her feet. "I shouldn't have been in your way."

"No, it was all my fault, I should have not been running so fast without knowing where I was going. It was completely all my fault umm…"

"Sakura…my name is Sakura. And yours is?" Sakura responded smiling weakly.

"Oh my name is Hyuga, Neji Hyuga. I'm terribly sorry for knocking you over Sakura san." The chocolate haired boy replied politely with a slight bow that reminded Sakura of a prince from western fairytales.

Sakura giggled at his actions and smiled brightly. "You don't need to be so formal with me Neji kun, you can call me Sakura chan if you want, that's what everyone else here calls me."

"As you wish Sakura chan." Neji replied with a shy smile and a slight tint of pink flushing across his cheeks. His smile melted however when the sight of a dark red liquid snaking down her cheek caught his ever observant eyes. "Sakura chan you cheek, it hurt!" He cried jumping forward in shock.

Sakura blinked in a confused manner and touched her cheek, frowning lightly when she recognized the wound as one she received from the fights he father took her to not too long ago. It must have reopened when she fell on it. "Oh don't worry Neji kun it's nothing, just a scratch. It doesn't hurt."

"But it's bleeding, you have to let me help you, please it's the least I could do for knocking you over." He begged taking her hands in her own.

Sakura squeaked slightly at the contact but nodded shyly letting the pearl eyed boy drag her towards one of the guest houses surrounded by flowering trees. Her eyes instantly brightened at the sight.

"Oh Neji kun it's so pretty!" She squealed hugging his arm and bobbing up and down like…well…a little girl.

Neji blushed a bit and looked away due to the contact but didn't pull away or brush her off. He liked it. "Um yeah…it's the Hyuga gardens…" He stammered in reply.

"Wow there are so many pretty flowers!"

"You like the flowers?"

Sakura smiled brightly and nodded. "I love the flowers, they always remind my of the beauty of living."

"The beauty of living? What's that…?" Neji asked coxing his head to the side in confusion.

"Uh huh, sometimes it can be difficult, hard, and even painful to keep on living but there is always a certain beauty to every passing day we are blessed with. The flowers always remind me of the beauty of living whenever something might hurt me." She then pointed to her small cut. "Even thought there may be times in this life to test me The flowers will help me through with their beauty."

"Their beauty…?" Neji asked looking down at his sandals remembering a few very intense training sessions with his father and then his uncle.

'Uh huh, sometimes it can be difficult, hard, and even painful to keep on living but there is always a certain beauty to every passing day we are blessed with.' Her words from just a few moments replaying in his mind once or twice.

"A beauty…" Neji murmured before turning to Sakura and smiling. "Thank you Sakura chan! You're words helped me in a way I can't explain at the moment but I need to thank you for hearing me with such words of wisdom, they really helped me with something I'm going through right now."

"Neji kun?" Sakura asked confused seeing two small silver streams trailing down his cheeks. "Neji kun is everything okay? Did I upset you?" Sakura asked a bit worried, taking his hands into his own.

Neji just shook his head and buried it into her shoulder hugging and holding her like a moth all the while continuing to cry silently. Her words were exactly the ones he needed to hear more than any other.

"Neji kun…I don't know what you are going though right now but if ever you need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on I will always be available for you. Just give a shout k?" She said with a reassuring smile.

Neji looked up and nodded before looking over her in shock. "Oh no Sakura, I forgot you're cut, and here I am crying like some baby while you are still bleeding on my behalf, please forgive me,"

Sakura reached up and touched to touch to bleeding red cut on her face smiled a softly a Neji reassuring him that it wasn't that bad, and that it didn't even hurt.

Still Neji insisted in bandaging it and led her to the branch part of the complex they were already in. Sneaking out a first aid kit complete with the bandages he would need to treat her wound. He, having been hurt a lot, knew how to treat her wound and didn't do such a shabby job.

"Thank you Neji kun." Sakura chirped happily poking the white cloth covering her cut.

"Hey don't poke it like that, you'll make it bleed more." Neji replied hastily directing her poking fingers away from her wounded face.

"Sorry Neji kun."

Neji blushed and looked away a bit embarrassed for no apparent reason.

"Neji kun…"

"Hmmm?"

"What are you doing the rest of the day?"

"Umm My uncle is away on business and he usually trains me so I have some free time today. Why are you asking me this Sakura chan?" Once again the faint trace of pink flushed across his cheeks. He couldn't really help it. She just looked too cute when she asked him like that.

"I don't have anything to do today. Would you like to hang out with me?"

Neji looked down as his blush grew. "Just you and…me together by ourselves like on a…a….?"

"Yeah just the two of us hanging out and stuff. I still don't know this village very well maybe you could show me around a bit. Would you do that for me Neji kun?"

Neji looked up and smiled at her pretty little face. She looked so much cuter when she smiled, there was no way he could ever say no to that face for anything. Scary, what she could make people do. "Of course Sakura chan, I'll show you all around town and I can show you more tomorrow if you want since my uncle is still away for another whole day. Okay?"

Sakura squealed and jumped up happily. "Yay, yay, Neji kun is going to show me around town!" She sang a bit out of tune.

Still… Neji turned his head to one side as she continued to dance under the falling flower blossoms carried through the air by a lovely spring breeze. Her voice wasn't lovely but it was comforting. Something about her was just so calming that Neji couldn't help but feel relaxed with her by his side.

His smile only grew when a stay Sakura blossom found it's way into her face. Sakura laughed as it's petals tickled her face for a brief moment before settling on her nose. She was about to brush it away when he reached out and stopped her.

"Here…" He breathed pushing a clump of her bubble gum colored hair behind her ear, pinning it back with the fresh Sakura blossom. The fresh green leaves stood out against the pink and the lovely flower only added to her adorable beauty. "Beautiful…"

Sakura smiled back at him with that dazzling smile of hers. "Thank you Neji kun."

* * *

_There it is...please review I love reviews...I love flame...flame me if you want._

_The next update my not come up as fast since I'm planning on starting a new story: Like Moths to the Light, and that will take a big bite out of my time. So...here is this chapter and I hope you had fun with it. _

_ja ne_


	5. Puppy kisses

Disclaimer: Owning Naruto? Yeah right.

Author's note: Umm...I'll give a cooki out to anyone who uncovers the secret behind Hinata's dragonfly pin! No really, I wat to hear what you all think about how she got it. Read on and You'll find out. I felt as if I needed to add something other than Sakura everyone so Hinata is getting a little love.

As always please read and review, Flames are welcome too...I don't mind flames.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Puppy kisses**

**Home, home, this house is not a  
Home, home, this house is not a  
Home, home, this house is not a  
Home, home, this house is not a home…**

"I'm really glad you could show me around town again Neji kun. I had so much fun yesterday." Sakura laughed stopping in front of a nice apartment complex with nicely paved walkways and clean windows.

"I had fun too Sakura chan. I hope we can do this some other time if it's alright with you."

Sakura smiled brightly towards her newly made friend and Neji blushed. "Sure thing Neji kun! There is a part somewhere around here that I like to play at, maybe we could meet there sometime and play together."

"O-Okay, I have to stay with my uncle and all of his family tomorrow morning but in the afternoon I think I can meet you at the playground. I know where it is." Neji replied with a bit of a blush dotting his cheeks at the though of spending even more time with the bubbly green eyed child he adored so much.

"That's great, I'll see you then okay?"

"O-Okay Sakura chan, ja ne. I got to go now."

"Ja ne Neji kun." Sakura replied waving to the pearl eyed boy who was currently heading home.

He had offered to walk her to her apartment despite her numerous refusals he insisted that a gentleman such as himself should walk her home. Sakura looked behind her at the apartment complex behind her and sighed. She was too ashamed to show him where she really lived so she opted for somewhere somewhat close to home while still being somewhat presentable…unlike her home. "At least the windows aren't broken." She though to herself almost in shame.

Shrugging she skipped behind the building and cut through a few ally ways heading towards the…lower part of her village. She was climbing up over a tall wall when a low whimper caught her attention.

"What the…?" she asked out aloud looking around wildly for the source of the sound. Wiping her head around Sakura lost her balance on the shaky trash can lid and fell over the wall in a rather un-lady like fashion.

"Owie…that hurt…" She moaned rubbing her sore bottom. "Stupid trash can of evil…"

The whimpering sound silenced her complaints and she stumbled to her feet looking around trash cans and broken crates searching for the source of the noise. "Yip." There it was again.

Sakura spun around and rushed over to pile of collapsed timber and started to pull the pieces of wood out of the pile one by one. She grunted at the weight of a few but little by little pulled them all out. The whimper reached her ears once again and she shoved an armful of wood out of the way. There at the bottom of the pile was a grayish white puppy laying on his side with what looked like a broken leg.

"Oh you poor thing, these must have fallen and hurt your leg." She gasped bending down towards the puppy laying limply on his side. She saw his chest rise and fall so she knew he was at least still alive.

Gently slipping a hand underneath his lower belly she scooped the other under his head and lifted the whimpering dog up off the ground and into her arms like a baby.

"Just hang in there a little more buddy, I'll watch over you and fix that leg of yours as best as I can." She cooed softly to the injured puppy who only whimpered in reply. Bopping up and down she rocked the little puppy in a soothing manner treating him like a newborn.

The emerald eyed girl looked over the tired puppy in her arms one more time and happily noticed that his leg was the only thing injured. He was just a bit dirty and tired. His ribs were only barley visible so he was obviously well fed and not a stray.

"You're going to be just fine, I'll take you to my place and bandage your leg and then get you something to eat how dose that sound to you buddy?" She asked noticing he seemed a bit more awake.

"Yip." He replied weakly reaching up and licking her cheek in affection.

Sakura giggled softly at the feel of his rough tongue on her cheek. "Okay, okay I can see you're happy about that. Just no more licking that tickles and I might drop you."

"Arf." He barked backing reply wagging his tail a bit.

With that thought in her mind Sakura kicked another piece of wood out of her way an sprinted as smoothly as possible towards her home where she could tend to the puppy's wounded leg.

"I wonder who your owner is, if you even have an owner at all. You don't look like a stray so someone must feed you at least." Sakura said climbing up the stairs outside her apartment.

"Yip." Be barked in reply playfully. Sakura assumed that was his way of telling her she was right and that he did have an owner.

"Okay okay we can look for him tomorrow if you want but you have to be quiet when we go inside. I don't want my dad to know about you and if you make some noise you might wake him up."

"Yip." The small gray colored dog barked quietly as if the tell her that he understood. "Such a smart dog."

Satisfied with her reply she headed inside her apartment with gentle footsteps. The heavy breathing of her father still asleep greeted her ears causing her to smile in delight. Quickly she tip toed to the kitchen and opened a cupboard and pulled out some crackers her father bought with the money she won the other night from her fights.

Breathing heavily she slipped into her bedroom/closet with the gray and white colored puppy still in her arms and quietly closed the door. If her father caught her sneaking food…she didn't want to think about what he might do. He seemed a bit less harsh towards her ever since the fight but he still did not act kindly towards his only child. Most likely seeing her as something better used alive and healthy then weak or dead.

"Okay here, eat up little guy while I set your leg." Sakura cooed taking a old blue ribbon and tying it around his leg like a sling so he wouldn't jostle it. Her hands gently addressing his wounds while he chewed down on the crackers she placed in front of him.

Taking a few for herself Sakura yawned before popping in a few crackers while preparing herself for bed. "You must miss your master so the two of us can go look for him tomorrow if you want. But I have to be with, your legs is still very weak and you can't walk on it at all. Maybe we could dump some water on you too or something too. You look real dirty."

The puppy stopped eating and quietly whimpered at the mention of water, thinking it meant a bath. Sakura chuckled at his trebling form and shook her head to chase away his worries.

"No don't worry, I won't give you a bath, just dump some water on your head that's all. You don't have to worry about that."

Hearing this the puppy wagged his tail and licked her hand. Sakura smiled at this and snuggled into her blankest preparing for bed. The gray white dog circled around her head three times before falling down into a curled up ball at the base of her neck settling his head beside her chin.

"Nigh…Sleep tight."

Kiba grumbled darkly to himself while stomping through the streets with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, a scowl set firmly on his lips.

This was the worse day ever for the brown haired dog lover. Last night his ninken in training, Akamaru ran off chasseing some stupid old cat and hadn't come home. What was worse was that Kiba had a bad feeling deep in his gut that something bad had happened to his best friend.

"Stupid cat, I hate cats. Why dose there even have to be cats, dogs are so much better than cats. Everyone should have a dog and throw out their stupid cats." He mumbled darkly kicking a pebble with his open toed sandals, sending the small round rock flying forward.

He had found Naruto a few minuets ago and asked him if he had seen Akamaru but the blue eyed boy had replied was the dreaded no. The Uchiha's reply was no different. He had asked a few others if they had seen his four legged friend but none had. Naruto said he would keep an eye open for his missing dog but the blond was off to the part to look for someone named Sakura chan.

He was really worried now, it wasn't like Akamaru to stay out late and then never come back in the morning. Sighing he sat down on the side of a building's steeps and let his head fall into his hands. "Where are you Akamaru?" He sighed longingly as if asking the sky to answer his question.

"Umm excuse me… Is your name Kiba Inuzuka?" Someone asked coming down the steeps and stopping behind him.

Kiba turned around to see who it was who was talking to him and gasped a bit. A girl with brightly colored pink locks pulled back into a loose braid and bright apple green eyes was standing behind him and addressing him. She was wearing a baggy black top with a high collar and long sleeves falling over her hands and some navy blue shorts.

"Uh…y-yeah that' my name. Why do ya want at know?" He asked turning around and standing up.

She smiled at him warmly and he felt his cheeks heat up. "My name is Sakura and someone told me to see you for something."

"S-something, what's that?" He asked confused.

"Well not really something but rather someone." She replied with a light laugh that made his stomach do flip flops. No wonder Naruto couldn't shut up about this girl.

His attention shifted when he saw her shirt rustle and move. A small white face popped out from her neck collar and barked at him happily shaking her bangs out of his face.

"Akamaru!" He cried rushing forward to catch to pure white puppy who jumped out towards him. He scooped the said puppy into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Akamaru I was so worried about you!"

Sakura smiled warmly at the pair and turned around walking away content with reuniting the two.

"H-hey wait up!" Kiba called seeing the pink haired girl walking away from him. She stopped and turned around to look at him and he suddenly felt so embarrassed to talk to her.

"Yes Kiba san?" Sakura asked politely not noticing his red cheeks.

"D-don't call me Kiba san, it sound to polite, you can call me Kiba kun or just Kiba. I wanted to thank you for finding Akamaru and returning him to me. He ran away last night and I was really worried about him."

Sakura smiled and nodded her hand in his direction. "It's my pleasure Kiba kun, I found Akamaru yesterday under some wood with a broken leg in one of the back ally ways. I set his leg and secured it but I fear it is still broken. You might want to take him to a vet and have them look at him."

"Ah my sister is a vet I could take him there."

"That would be a good idea."

Kiba looked down at his shoes and then to his left and right not wanting to meet the pink haired child in front of him. "Y-you could come with me if you want. I'm sure my sister would be happy to meet you. You could stay for lunch as a thank you gift for finding and returning Akamaru."

Sakura looked at Kiba and the snow white puppy in his arms and chuckled. "Sure I would love that Kiba kun." Sakura replied flashing him a bright energetic smile. Spending lunch with a friend was better than spending lunch alone was a book or worse, no lunch at all.

"G-great my house is this way!" The excited boy cried grabbing her hand and running down the steppes with her beside him. Akamaru barked happily as the wind rushed past him as the two ran. He though it was great that his two favorite humans were together.

Neji sighed leading his younger pearl eyed cousin towards the park where he was planning on playing with Sakura. His Uncle had forced him to watch over her for the entire day after his training with his father. He wasn't too fond of the idea but the idea of seeing Sakura brightened his mood considerably. Hinata didn't seem to mind that they would have to play with someone else either so everything was okay now.

His chocolate brown eyebrows arched downward slightly as his eyes angled themselves in a death glare directed towards a noisy blond and a dark eyed Uchiha. He didn't like the Uchiha, bad blood, and he wasn't especially fond of Naruto. He become a little less inclined to like the blond when he caught the end of one of sentences.

"Nu uh Sakura chan and I would look so much better together. Besides there is no way she would go out with you teme." Naruto cried loudly towards the Uchiha.

"Shut up and listen to yourself. Sakura would never go with you." Sasuke shot back.

"And she would never go with you."

"Yeah she would. Sakura chan likes me and we are going to go together."

"Sakura and me are meant to be!" Naruto cried angrily.

"No Sakura will end up with me." Sasuke shot back with a deadly glare.

"The both of you are wrong. Sakura chan is meant to be with me. It's fate." Neji interrupted seething with anger. How dare they talk about his Sakura chan. She was his and no one else's.

"Hyuga." Sasuke spat with a icy death glare.

"Uchiha." Neji spat back as if the word was venom.

It was obvious the two knew each other and were in no way found of the other.

"Hey who are you and how do you know Sakura chan?" Naruto asked entering the conversation in anger.

"Sakura chan is my friend." Neji replied directing her glare towards Naruto.

"Nu uh she can't be your friend." Sakura is my friend and there is no way she could be friends with someone like you."

"Tough luck she is baka."

Hinata simply stood back and lifted her hands in front of her face. She was too far away to hear what they were talking about but she knew it was something they were all passionate about. And because of this she had no desire to enter the conversation.

She hear someone com up behind her and turned around to see Sakura and a boy named Kiba walking up towards the park. She brightened up seeing her sister like friend.

"S-Sakura chan." she stuttered in a whisper running up to her friend. "I'm happy to see you here."

"I'm glad to see you too Hinata chan. Any of those girls give you any trouble? If they did all you have to do it tell me and I'll take care of them." Sakura laughed raising a fist.

Hinata giggled and shook her head. "No no one has bother me so far, but thank you for the offer. I feel so much safer knowing you are looking out for me."

Sakura smiled and then turned towards Kiba and Akamaru who were standing next to her. "Hey Kiba kun this is my friend Hinata chan. Hinata chan this is my fiend Kiba kun. Do you guys know each other?"

Kiba nodded a bit while scratching his nose." Yeah we hang out a few times with Shino."

"Shino? Who is he? I haven't met him. Is he one of your friends?" Sakura asked noticing out of the corner of her eye how Hinata reddened at the mysterious boy's name. The gears within her mind working up.

"Y-yes S-S-Sino s-san I-is a f-friend of o-ours." Hinata stuttered more than usual fingering a dragonfly pin on her sleeve. With beautiful mother of pearl eyes and a shimmering blue back.

"He's a year older than us so he's seven." Kiba added not noticing Hinata's stuttering.

Sakura looked behind her pear eyed friend and saw the three boys fighting verbally in a most heated battle. About what she was still uncertain about.

"Hey Hinata chan, what are the boys fighting about? They look like they are really dukeing it out over there." Sakura asked rubbing the back of her head while scrunching up her nose in confusion.

"I…I don't know Sakura chan. I was to far away to hear."

"Do you think someone should stop them?" Kiba asked.

Sakura took another look at the boys and shook her head. "Nah they look like they are having fun. Let's leave them and go play on the swings!"

"Okay!" Kiba cheered happily with Akamaru happily joining him with a high yip.

Hinata looked back over at her cousin and then back at her friend who was grinning madly at her. "Neji is strong, he can take care of himself if anything happens."

"That's the spirit. Let's get going!" Sakura cheered grabbing her hand and dragging both her friends towards the swings.

Thos poor boys never realized that the object of their affection was only a few yards away on the swings with two of her friends until she called out to them a little less than fifteen minuets later.

"Boys." She mumbled under her breath. She would never understand the opposite sex.

* * *

There I'm done. Please review! 

Ja ne


	6. Water

AN: There I'm finally finished with this chapter.And now I hope you know that I need reviews if I am to continue this so as always (here it comes) Please review! I'm begging you…yes begging Flames are welcome as always to toast my Marshmallows and melt my chocolate.

I do not own any part of the Naruto world. No not a thing. Please cheek out my profile if you want any other info on this or any of my other stories. I usually put a longer summer or note on how the updating is coming along.

* * *

**Water**

**Please, please forgive me,  
But I won't be home again.  
Maybe someday you'll look up,  
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:  
"Isn't something missing?"**

**-**

_"Daddy…you're up early" She stuttered stating the obvious in fear._

_"Have your wounds healed?" He asked sharply. She nodded slowly. "Good your coming with me tonight." He stated stiffly grabbing her by the arm and dragging her roughly out the door._

_"Daddy-?" She began to ask but was silenced by his demon like saffron yellow eyes._

_Sakura was scared and frightened as her father led her through the dimming streets of Konoha. She didn't know where they were going but she knew there was going to be pain involved. Her father had that look in his eyes he had whenever he was beating her or putting her through a painful experience. That look of lifelessness and pure cruelty. He reminded her of someone who wasn't human at all but some other creature that lived off the misfortune and pain of others. Preferably her._

_Her father led her up to a rundown building and entered through a creaky back door. Once inside he kicked back a loose floorboard reveling a black door in the flood. He opened it up and shoved her inside following close behind. Sakura tumbled downward falling over herself before regaining her footing._

_Her father led her up to a ring with a big shaggy dog wit many wounds and scars fighting another one that was bleeding heavily as well. Both were savage looking beasts bent on the purpose of killing the other. She shuddered inwardly at their forms pined against one another, teeth and claws reaching for the body of their opponent. Inside she could smell blood sweet and hear angry cheering. It was almost enough to make her loose her lunch._

_Looking around she saw one or two other kids older than her but only in chains. She shivered and whimpered once again putting two ad two together. He was going to make her fight just like the dogs! 0000_

_"Daddy please don't make me do this." She begged. Her father kept a stone cold face fixed on the ring without even looking at her._

_All she could do was shiver at watch Waiting for her turn. Her body wanting to shut down with the fear. Pulling her knees up close to her chest she sat on the ground behind her father until he called for her._

_"Next contestants!" A fat man was a scar across his jaw and eye called out after the dead body of the first wolf was dragged out of the ring._

_Sakura found her small trembling body being shoved into the rig by her father. All of the other kids that went before her were much older than her and knew how to fight. She turned to see two men arguing about her pointing at her and cursing. The one with no hair and an eye patch covering his left eye huffed and stomped over towards the cages unlocking one._

_"No…!" She gasped to herself taking a step back. They were going to make her fight the animals. Her fears only grew when the cage was opened revealing a large scarred wildcat. They poked it with a stick that zapped him making him even more angry._

_'This can't be happening.'_

_The large beast foxed it's gaze on her and growled slightly already determined to kill the small child. The huge cat came at her knocking her down and she held her arms up to stop his teeth from reaching her face. He snapped at her and gnawed on her arms reaching for her head and enjoying her spilled blood._

_She cried out in pain as it's fangs pierced her skin tearing away at her flesh till it could feel bone. Sakura pulled her legs up to her chest and kicked the huge beast with all the force she could muster. Thankfully it was just enough to sent the savage animal all the way to the other side of the ring. She bit her lip at the intense pain rippling throughout her arms as she drew her small frame up. It hurt so much she wanted to cry but she knew that would just mess up her vision._

_The angered beast roared standing up, a killing intent flashing in it's eyes. Once again the wild cat arched his back and started running for the bleeding girl. Sakura pivoted out of the way once and than once again after if came back for her. Jumping back Sakura put as much distance between her and the cat as possible and took I a deep breath willing the fear and noise to leave her._

_She couldn't loose here. She knew he father didn't care enough about her to stop this match so she had to deal with this herself. Fight her own battles and win her own matches._

_The cat got up again and started to run towards her but Sakura just kept her head down , a shadow falling over her eyes. The beast drew closer yet she didn't move. Closer, Closer, Closer, it was almost upon her as she lifter her gaze her emerald eyes flashing with a blazing fire._

_"Hitomi!" She shouted as her eyes flashed spinning and melting into a pink purple color. The top half was a shimmering light purple and the bottom half was a glimmering pink. The orbs were entrancing and seemed to see so much more than her old green eyes as a confident smile passed over her lips as the cat came upon her._

_-_

_-_

_-_

That hurt." She grumbled crawling over to the other end of her room. 

Poking her head out of the closet she took a quick peek out the window and gasped. "Oh no I'm late!" she squeaked to herself scrambling out of her room pulling her black long sleeved shirt over her head.

Today she promised to meet Hinata chan real early at the part but judging at how bright it was outside she was already late for their play date.

Skipping the stairs that led to her apartment room she shared with her father Sakura flew down the stairs and out the back ally way. She really didn't like taking the dark threatening streets but it would save time and get her to Hinata chan faster.

Skidding to a clumsy halt in front of the playground she gasped taking in a generous amount of air while placing her hands on her knees to steady herself. She was used to running a lot but her little six year old body was, in reality, no cut out for the kind of stuff her father had her going through

"Sakura chan!" A timid yet happy voice called from behind the rosette haired child making Sakura turn her full body around to gladly spot her only female friend running towards her.

"Hinata chan! Have you been waiting for me a long time yet?" Sakura asked jokingly.

"Oh n-no I just got here myself. I wasn't waiting for you at all."

"Oh that's good. I didn't want to keep you waiting or anything like that." Sakura chuckled folding her hands behind her head and smiling brightly towards the young heiress.

"Uh…um S-Sakura chan there was something I wanted to…to a-ask y-you…" Hinata asked as she began to stutter nervously. A bad habit she had that Sakura though her friend had overcome over the three months they have known each other.

The only time the shy girl began to stutter was when she was alone with Sakura was when she was about to ask her something big or entrust her with a super big secret. Like the one about her crush on that Shino boy she met only once. Hinata grew too close to passing out so the two had to leave.

"Hinata chan you are stuttering again."

"Huh? O-oh s-sorry Sakura chan. But you see there is this…um part coming up, it's a really big one for the Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan will be there too. My dad told me I could invite one friend and…I…I wanted to invite you!"

"Me? A party? For real?" Sakura exclaimed so greatly excited that she grabbed the Hyuga girl's hands in her own and began to jump up and down. Her jumping stopped however when she remembered something.

"Sakura chan? Is there something wrong?"

Sakura frowned sadly before replying, "I'm sorry Hinata chan. I don't think I can go. You see, I don't have any other cloths except for the ones I'm wearing so I can't go to a fancy party."

"O-oh th-that's okay! You can barrow some of mine! I have lots so I won't miss any of 'em for one night. Please say you'll come, pretty please. I don't have any other friends there and I really want you to come!"

Sakura though this over for a moment before smiling to her friend. "I think I can go. I just have to ask my dad… When dose the party start and how late dose it go to?"

"Um it starts after sundown and goes on until midnight. Do you thing you can stay up that late though? Last year I fell asleep early on and my mom had to put me to bed."

"You bet! I've stayed up all night once so midnight is nothing for me. All I need is the okay from my dad and I'm good to go Hinata chan. I'll ask him tonight."

"Oh I'm so happy Sakura chan Neji nii-san will be there too and he was asking me to invite you and he seemed really eager to have you come. He plans on inviting Kiba kun and Sasuke san is inviting Naruto san so everyone will be there!"

Sakura ginned deviously and set her eyes in her pearl eyes friend. "What about Shino san? Will he be there?" Sakura asked with a devious voice to match to look on her face.

Hinata instantly tensed up and began to stutter falling over every other word as her face grew red and then scarlet and then even crimson. T-th-the A-Aburame c-c-clan w-will be th-there s-sssso y-ye-yes."

Sakura chuckled as Hinata began to fiddle with the dragonfly pin on her shirt's sleeve. She was now 100 positive that her pearl eyed friend had a crush on the bug loving boy if not a deep infatuation.

"Hey it's okay. How about we go over to your place and see if Neji is able to play with us." Sakura suggested figuring that she emotionally tortured her friend enough for one day.

The blush on Hinata's face faded from a bright crimson to a dull pink before disappearing completely. "Ah, yeah. Neji nii-san will be really happy to see you." Hinata replied slowly formalizing a plan of revenge in her head to get back at Sakura for teasing her about Shino kun.

-

-

-

Neji couched falling back on his bottom due to being at the receiving end of his father's flawless counter attack. A small bead of sweet trickled down the side of his face and he rubbed his head against his shoulder refusing to tack his eyes off his opponent. That was the worst mistake you could make in battle. Growling to himself in embarrassment the pearl eyed Hyuga forced his body to pull it's self upward and fall back into a defensive stance.

"That's good. Get back up on your feet. Don't remain in defeat." His father encouraged reading himself for another attack. His own stance mirroring the one Neji was currently using for their little spar. In truth his father looked like an older twin with long chocolate brown hair and pearl white eyes. The only major difference aside from their age was the white bandage around the older man's head concealing the caged bird seal that he hoped to never see on his own son.

His heart swelling with pride at each attack. His son was a natural born genius, a prodigy. Too bad he would never be the best he could be due to the fact the he, his father, was born three minuets after his twin brother bringing him into the branch house instead of the main house.

"Owww!" Neji coughed falling back and landing on sandal clad his feet before his knees buckled undreamt him and he fell forward landing flat on his face with a last huff in defeat. His chocolate brown hair falling around his face before setteling into the dust.

"Neji!" His father called in slight panic rushing to his son's side. Maybe he was pushing him a bit too far for one day. The were out here for more than three hours, before the sun was even up.

"Mmm yeah?" Neji asked in a sleepy manner looking up at his father.

Relief rushed over the loving father as he sent a silent thank you to the powers above "Thank God…"He breathed lifting Neji up onto his feet. "You appear to be dehydrated. Get some water and rest the rest of the day. That's enough training for one day."

"But-"

"No buts, now go get some water and get out of here. Have some fun." he replied slapping his chocolate haired son on the back and pushing him towards the water containers.

Neji was about to protest one more times insisting that he could go on but the sound of approaching footsteps made him halt with his words. Even though he was very young and still training to become a ninja his senses were heightened to the point of memorizing one's footsteps. Then again it could have something to do with his obsession of the rosette haired girl that helped him memorize the patter of her footsteps.

"Sakura chan, Hinata sama!" He cried turning around and smiling at the two girls with a small blush due to the object of his affection in front of him. At least he didn't stutter like his cousin.

Hizashi Hyuga stared curiously at the girl that his son referred to as Sakura _chan_. His son never dressed anyone with a chan at the end of their name, let alone such a pretty girl that looked a lot like the others in the fan club that stalked Neji.

"Sakura chan?" He asked poking his son in the shoulder. "Who's Sakura chan Neji?"

"_Daaaaad_." The pearl eyed Hyuga boy hissed turning slightly around to face his father with a look like the older man was doing something un-cool or embarrassing that made him look bad.

His father took another look at the pink haired girl and then back at Neji and smiled knowingly. He remembered acting the same exact way around his wife when the two of them were little kids.

"Okay then… I guess I'll leave you two-I mean I'll leave you _three _alone to play then." The older man stated hesitantly trying to hide the smile that was creeping up his face.

Neji nodded watching his father walk away giving a cautious glance over his shoulder aimed towards his son and the pink haired girl.

"Um so Sakura chan, what are you doing here?"

"Sakura chan wanted to see if you could play with her Neji nii san!" Hinata blurted out really quick before Sakura could say anything herself.

Sakura sent a look over at her female friend and shrugged figuring it had something to do with them running all the way to the Hyuga compound. "Yeah that was pretty much it. So can you?"

"You came all the way here to see if _I _could play with _you_?" Neji asked a bit hesitantly the pink on his cheeks growing.

"I don't know any other Neji Hyuga."

Neji turned around real quick and squeezed his eyes shut real tight as he repeated a fist pump sever times with a huge grin shouting 'SCORE!' over and over inside his head.

"Um Neji kun, if you don't want to play with me I could go and see if Sasuke kun or-"

"NO!" Neji cried franticly holding either side of her arms with a frantic almost desperate look in his pearl colored eyes. "No you don't need to go see that Uchiha or anybody else. I'll play with you, just don't go to the Sakura chan!"

_'Smooth, real smooth Neji…'_ Hinata though to herself slapping herself in the face at how desperate her cousin looked.

Sakura seemingly oblivious to the tension and obsession of the boy in front of her smiled brightly. "Okay Neji kun. Let's go to the lake. I want to see if there are any purple swans there yet. Naruto said he saw them last week before they burrowed under the ground with their razor sharp bills."

Hinata chuckled to herself at how naïve and easily convinced her pink haired friend was.

"Really! Do you think they are still there?!" Neji asked excitably.

'I'm surrounded by the easily swayed.'

-

-

-

Sakura scrunched up her nose in frustration at not being able to see what she was looking for. Her and her two Hyuga friends were at the lake looking for the purple swans Naruto spotted last week. So far there was no sign of them.

Having no luck in her current position Sakura moved further out onto the tree branch and leaned forward.

"I think I found one!" Sakura called from her position on the very tip of a tree branch over looking the small lake.

"S-Sakura chan, that branch doesn't look too secure maybe you shouldn't climb up there…" Hinata stated hesitantly watching the way the branch she was on bend a bit too far to be normal.

"Don't worry Hinata chan this tree can hold anything I won't f-"

SNAP

Sakura's sentence was interrupted by the loud snap of the tree branch followed by the equally loud splash as she fell beneath the surface of the lake along with her tree's thin branch.

"Sakura!" Neji cried in shock and horror as his pink haired angel disappeared under the ripples of the lake.

Thoughts like _'What if she can't swim? What if she hit her head on the branch? What if she doesn't come back?'' _Raced through his head in a split second before instant kicked in and he dove in after the petal haired six year old.

-

_"It's dark…"_

_-_

_"Really dark."_

_-_

_"My head hurts."_

_-_

_"I can't breath."_

-

Sakura jerked when she felt someone slip a hand around her waist and pull her upward, stopping her fall downward. Her eyes felt heavy and her head hurt where she hit it against the tree branch but at the moment her lungs were burning and she was panicking over how she could not swim. Before she could thrash around in panic she miraculously broke the lake's surface and met with sweet delightful air her lungs were burning for.

"Neji…kun…" She breathed in between gasps for air.

The chocolate haired boy was gasping for breath along side her with his arms tightly encircling her waist, his head was hanging over her shoulder so Sakura couldn't see what his expression was. He wasn't talking and he wasn't looking at her for a while and Sakura began to worry, maybe he was mad at her for falling in.

"Baka…" He breathed darkly making her heart shatter.

He _was_ mad at her.

"Baka…don't you know it dangerous to hang off tree branches like that! If I wasn't there you would have drowned and-" His voice cracked and she heard his sniffle like he was crying.

"Neji kun…?" Sakura's eyes widen when she felt something land on her shoulder under Neji's face realizing that the weight was tears. Neji kun was crying. Neji kun was crying for _her_.

"Neji kun I'm alright really, don't cry. Please don't cry for me." Sakura chan cooed softly hugging the pearl eyes boy.

"Sakura chan…" Neji stated softly not caring if the two of them were still floating shoulder high above the water.

Sakura smiled and kissed Neji softly on the cheek. "Arigatou Neji kun for caring."

-

-

-

From her spot under the tree Hinata stuffed a old chainsaw behind her back and whistled. Revenge was sweet.

-

-

* * *

I like the part with Hinata at the end. She is devious I tell you. O.O 

Please Review! Flames are welcome ( I mean it, I don't mind them) Once again I'm sorry for my slow updating but at least I'm updating right? I was thinking about no continuing it but since you guys liked it so much I've gotten this far. Thank you for your reviews!

ja ne!


	7. Plans for a party

AN:/Okay wrapping this thing up. Sorry to say but this story only has a few more chapters before it comes to an end. I decided that I won't have Sakura grow up and meet Gaara in this fic, that will be another story in it's self. But I couldn't write this without putting Gaara in it at last a little. Even if the don't see each other in the way a lot of you wanted. So look forward to that in later chapters.

I'm kind of disappointed with how this came out and plan on re- writing it one day along with Softer than Scarlet because they were both poorly done. Sorry in advance for that. It won't happen anytime soon but one day far in the future I think I will.

I do not own Naruto or the little snip-it of Missing by Evanesance.

* * *

**Chapter seven**

_Plans for a party_

**You won't cry for my absence, I know  
You forgot me long ago.  
Am I that unimportant...?  
Am I so insignificant...?  
Isn't something missing?  
Isn't someone missing me?**

Sakura fidgeted on the edge of her best friend's bed playing with the ends of her sleeves that happened to fall past her hands less than they had a few months ago when she first arrived in the hidden leaf village with her father.

"H-Hinita chan, why did you want me to come over to your house three whole hours before the party started to get dressed?" Sakura asked nervously as her fondest female friend continued to viciously tear through a trunk full of expensive looking silk kimonos and other various garments.

Yes Sakura was scared, she was absolutely terrified to be more accurate. The way her timid blue haired friend tore through the piles of cloths Sakura would have handled with care scared her.

'_She's crazy._'

"Don't ask mindless questions. Everyone know you need hours to get all prettied up for a big party like this." Hinata answered throwing an elegant orange/red kimono over her shoulder.

"That one was pretty." Sakura murmured feeling out of place. Never in her life had she been surrounded by such beautiful things.

"Yeah but it's not your color or style. I know what I'm looking for don't worry. I have the perfect kimono in mind for you. All I have to do is find it…"

"Y-you don't need to go through so much trouble for me, I'm fine with whatever you want to lend me." Sakura reassured nervously sweating a bit at the demon eyes Hinata shot her.

"No! It has to be perfect. Neji will be there." Hinata shot back with a fiery aura around her at the mention of her cousin. "I just wish you didn't cut you hair. It would look so nice up in a pretty bun but now I can't really style it."

Sakura fidgeted and began to play with her should length hair that was still a bit frazzled by the unprofessional haircut it was subjected to by her father. It was in another of his drunken fits he grabbed her by the face and took a knife to her hair screaming at her about how much she looked like her mother, his wife.

Sakura was grateful that it was only her hair that was injured that night. Her father seemed to lessen up on the beatings ever since he started taking her to those underground fights.

She was of more use to him alive and healthy than weak and trembling.

"I like it short, it breezy and easy to manage. When it was long it was just a bother to take care of." Sakura replied with a light smile.

Hinata stopped her searching momentarily and pouted. "But it looked so pretty. I wanted to grow my hair out long but my dad made me keep it short since it's better for fighting he said. Like I want to do that for the rest of my life. And then Neji's hair is longer than most girl's and he still fights fine. Where is the logic in that I ask you? That's like so unfair."

Sakura laughed as her friend continued to rant on and on about how her father was so unfair. If she only know the half of what unfair truly was. She sighed deeply and fell back into the fluffy queen-sized traditional futon style bed that was raised slightly to suite royalty. Sakura had never slept in anything so fancy and here Hinata had this kind of treatment every night.

She looked up at the ceiling and grinned at the fancy stenciled design that met her eyes. "So the party is tonight right? I saw all the servants rushing around in the backyard setting up decorations and getting the food ready. I guess it's a big deal for them to make everything look so fancy."

"Yeah it is, we're showing off to the _Uchiha_ clan. As you could have guessed the Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan have been rivals since forever. Some say it's because of the likeness in our bloodline and the possibility that their could be a branch of our own. But since we are both clans under the Leaf village were are forced to keep our dislikes at a rivalry and nothing more."

"Bloodline? You mean the Sharingan eye and the Byakugan eye right? I never knew they were rumored to be related. Your clans are so different from each other it's hard to find a similarity." Sakura mused thinking about the white eyed Hyuga clan who preferred to dress in whites and the dark haired Uchiha clan the all harbored a pair of coal black eyes when inactive.

"Even though we are both very different our two clans have a lot in common."

"Hmm? What's that?"

Hinata tossed another light blue and white kimono over her shoulder letting the garment miss Sakura by a mere inch. "We both hate each other's guts."

Sakura tensed expression slackened and she sighed. She should have guessed as much.

"Ah ha! Here it is I found the kimono I wanted you to wear!" Hinata cried startling Sakura out of her silent musings. "Come on, time to get our spa treatment then we can do your hair and make up."

Sakura gawked at her friend's words as she was picked up and shoved out of the room much to her dislike. "Wait a minuet you said nothing about a sap treatment and there is no way you are making me wear make up Hinata chan!"

Hinata just smiled deviously as she continued to push her friend out the door. "But Neji will be there and I think he'll like you in make up."

"What? I don't care, no make up! Hinata chan are you even listening to me? Hinata chan?!" Sakura cried as a pair of maids picked her up ender each arm and proceeded to carry her towards the bath area.

"HINATA!"

-

-

-

Hiashi Hyuga waited outside patiently with a few branch members at his side as a horse and carriage came trotting into view outside his house. He straightened himself up and smiled politely hoping to impress the elderly man inside the carriage.

The watched coach came to a stop outside his house and a traditional dressed man ran around to the passenger door and hurriedly opened it with a low bow.

"Sayawoharau Shinken of the Shinken chan, it's a deep honor to have you stay at my house and join myself and my family for our evening of celebration." Hiashi Hyuga elegantly addressed with a small bow himself as an elderly man stepped out of the carriage wearing a formal traditional clothing.

The man addressed as Sayawoharau Shinken nodded his head in acknowledgment but said nothing. In his old age anyone that knew him knew that he rarely ever talked.

"You must be tired, please let one of my escorts show you the way to your room for the night where you may rest until the celebrating begins." The tall white eyed man informed holding out his hands to one of his attendants who politely led the old man to his room.

"Hiashi, is that man….?" Hizashi began stepping out from behind his twin brother.

"Yes, that was not only a member of the Shinken clan but the oldest living member to date." The elder of the two twins responded in a hushed tone.

"Shinken, as in the divine sword fighters? What was left of their small clan went into hiding to die in peace I heard." He whispered back in astonishment stealing another look at the retreating back of the old man.

"Yes that is true brother but Sayawoharau is on a sort of pilgrimage to see the world before he dies since it's not long he says."

"How old is he? He doesn't appear to be that old?" The younger of the two asked as he followed his elder brother into their house to continue preparation for the celebration that night.

"He's only forty nine but that's unbelievably old for his clan. They were know to be legendary swordsmen, the best samurais there ever were. Part of this success was to a self healing technique that is believed to be their kekkei genkai."

He then paused before continuing knowing his brother was paying attention. "Their healing technique unfortunately wears away at the person's life sucking days and years away at the cost of healing them at the time. If they had a healer attend to their wounds instead of using their bloodline limit they would have lived longer. Aside from that being a samurai didn't give you the promise of a very long life."

"That still leaves my question unanswered brother. How did you manage to convince him to come to our celebration? I didn't think their clan liked socializing with other clans too much."

Hiashi Hyuga sighed and rolled his shoulders back. "That's one of the things I really can't answer for you dear brother. He was the one that came to me and asked if he could attend. He offered no explanation as to why he wanted to attend out party other than he had a _feeling _it would be worth it."

"Either way this will blow the socks off those stinking Uchihas. Just wait till they show up and find out who we got to come to our party." Hizashi chuckled evilly rubbing his hands together.

"Oh yes, we'll show them who is the dominate clan in all of Konohagakure. I can't wait to see those EMO crybabies get a load of this." Hiashi laughed rubbing his hands together as well joining his brother.

A maid walked by and say the two full grown twins smirking and rubbing their hands together like little kids and sighed. "don't tell me those two are plotting again. Last time this happened I was cleaning up lemon custard pies off the ceilings for weeks."

-

-

-

"But, but Sakura chaaaaaaannnn." Hinata whined on one side of the large screen door much like a certain blond haired male Sakura remembered all too much.

"No, I am not coming out, I don't care what you say to bribe me there is no way in all the world that you could possible make me come out there Hinata chan." Sakura shouted to her friend through the doorway refusing to cross over and leave the room she was in.

"…I have ice cream."

The screen door flew open with a loud whoosh and Sakura jumped out looking around wildly trying to find the desired item. "Where, where Hinata chan. Where's the ice cream?"

Hinata grabbed onto a stunned Sakura and began to drag her back to her room with lightning speed as she laughed to herself at how cunning she was.

"What the- wait… NOOOOOO! No Hinata chan not the make up! You forced your maids to do my hair and I put on this kimono like you asked me but please no make up." Sakura cried kicking and screaming like a much younger child now getting her way.

Hinata handed Sakura off to two more maids who set her down in a chair rather firmly. Sakura saw her friend steep in front of her with a roll of silver duck tape.

"Um…Hinata chan. What are you going to do with that?" Sakura asked nervously as her friend continued to advance upon her.

"Since you don't want to put your make up on this is just here to help us restrain you a little bit." Hinata chuckled with dark shadows lingering over her eyes and other parts of her face.

"You know what Hinata chan, that's not really necessary since I won't struggle too much. I-I'll let you do my make up, just don't use the duck tape." Sakura hastily replied waving her hands in front of her face reassuringly.

The shadows around Hinata face vanished and she smiled cheerily. "Okay Sakura chan!" She chirped happily. Sakura made a mental note to ask Hinata to teach her to be scary like that after this whole party business was over.

"Why are you so determined to get me to look so nice anyway. I don't care what people think of me like that." Sakura sighed as Hinata began to apply something to her cheeks she called blush. What an odd name to called the stuff since blushing was not something you wanted to do in front of people.

"Because Neji will be there-I mean a lot of important people will be there. You know it's not a bad thing to look your best in front of people Sakura chan." Hinata answered catching herself before Sakura caught on to her little plot of making her best friend an in-law.

"People put to much weight on first appearance." Sakura huffed frowning as Hinata began to put a powdery like stuff on her closed eyelids.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you don't like looking pretty Sakura chan." Hinata laughed thinking the impossible. Her laughing grew awkward when she found Sakura staring at her with a dead serious face. "You can't be serious Sakura chan. Why wouldn't you want to look pretty?"

"Because it's harder to tell if someone liked you for who you are or for your looks. That and when I look pretty I remind someone of a certain someone else." Sakura replied looking down at her hands.

"Is hat why you refused to let the maids give you a spa treatment?" Hinata asked remembered the scared and horror stricken look on her friend's face when she was offered the specialty.

"Yes an no. I just don't like other people seeing me like that." Sakura replied looking down at her covered arms and legs visualizing the scars that would arouse too many unwanted question.

"Well I'm sorry to say it Sakura but I think you look beautiful. Sorry if you don't like yourself looking pretty but it's only for one night okay." Hinata chirped putting down her brush and admiring her work.

Sakura jumped out of her chair and walked over to the full length mirror in Hinata's room and gasped. The person in the mirror staring back at her looked nothing like the rag muffin Sakura knew herself to be. The person staring her back looked like a princess!

"Hinata chan is that me?" Sakura asked hesitantly lifting up a arm to see if the girl in the looking glass would do the same.

"Yeah Sakura chan that's you."

-

-

-

A certain blue eyed fox container fidgeted in his formal dress in the form of a Gi or male kimono. Naruto hated wearing these things, they made him feel like a girl and look like one too.

He was with Sasuke in the entrance of the Hyuga's backyard that was made up to resemble a fairy's place with fountains, flowers, paper lanterns and fairy lights strewn through the ivy.

"Sasuke, why did you make me come to this thing again?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

The young Uchiha grunted in annoyance and glared at Naruto. "Because I hate these parties and I wanted someone to come with me who is my age."

"…You just wanted me to come along to torture me didn't you?" Naruto asked with half lidded eyes.

"Yeah." Sasuke replied shrugging his shoulders and walking away.

Naruto growled and chased after his friend/rival but stopped when someone called their names.

"Sasuke, Naruto." Neji called from a small crowd of Hyugas around his age, maybe a bit older. The coffee haired boy strolled over to them leisurely weaving around a few adults with ease. "I'm glad to see you two could make it."

"Oh we wouldn't miss it for the world." Sasuke hissed out through clenched teeth trying his best to appear friendly when on the inside he wanted nothing more than to land a real good one in Neji's smirking face.

"Yeah I bet you are." Naruto mumbled under his breath noticing how comfortable Neji looking in his white and blue colored Gi. His own was a dark green while Sasuk's was a dark blue, almost black.

"Oh but I am Naruto." Neji teased with a coy smirk showing off the obvious sarcasm in his words. He wasn't happy at all about them being there. That would mean both Naruto and Sasuke would see Sakura chan all dressed up and he would have less of a chance at wooing her like his father had coached him on.

"Is that Hinata over there? I think I see someone next to her…" Naruto trailed off before being whacked in the face by Neji because the white eyed boy didn't want him seeing who was next to Hinata. Of course he knew who was next to Hinata, it was Sakura. He had seen her come over to get dressed up with his cousin but was unable to greet her.

"Oh, you should stay away from Hinata, she has a cold. Yeah she was coughing up a storm a few hours ago. Poor Hinata chan. She has to come to these things being the heiress and all." Neji explained nervously with a fake laugh hoping to steer the boys away from his future wife with pink hair.

"Neji is there something wrong with Hinata you don't want us to see?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"What? Yeah there is-I mean no, not at all. There is nothing wrong with Hinata. Just don't go near her." Neji replied hastily tripping over his words.

"Hey there is someone with Hinata and…" Naruto exclaimed growing silent all of a sudden.

Interested in knowing what could shut the dobe up Sasuke looked behind Neji and let his draw drop a bit. Neji turned around to get his first look at Sakura chan and grew slack at the sight in front of him.

"Hey guys," Hinata greeted mildly annoyed that Sasuke and Naruto were watching Sakura chan the way they were but was thrilled to see Neji practically drooling over Sakura. "How do you like Sakura chan's make over Neji?"

"Um hello Neji kun." Sakura greeted shyly blushing a bit and fidgeting with her dark colored sleeves.

Her kimono was mostly black with the design of a branchy white tree without any leaves growing out of the snow. A few pink Sakura petals dotted across her shoulder appearing to be blown off the tree in a pretty manner.

Her hair was pulled back into a bun with a few of her bangs falling around her face and framing it prettily. The large flowered bomb that held her hair back was paired with a pair of crossing chopsticks that hand teardrop diamond like stones hanging down decoratively.

Her make up was light with just a bit of blush and some dark blue eye shadow. Her lips were a light pink with a layer of soft gloss covering them.

"S-S-Sakura c-chan would you honor e with a dance?" Neji asked stuttering with a dark pink blush a shad darker than Sakura's own.

"Um I'm not a good dancer but I'll try Neji kun." Sakura replied taking Neji's arm and following him out to a mostly empty spot on the dance floor.

Hinata smiled at the way Sasuke and Naruto were still gaping at Sakura. '_Suckers_…'

-

-

-

"I better go now, I don't want to be late for the party." A dark haired man wearing a Kumogakure headband stated airily crossing his well build arms over his equally toned chest.

"Yeah, I heard you already have a target. I've heard rumors but I want to hear it from you. Who do you plan on picking up tonight?" A man with crusty red hear asked.

"The little heiress. She should be full of secrets. And while I'm at it I have to drop off invitation to both Itachi san and Kisame san in the land of waves. You'd think they'd cut me some slack man."

The man wit saffron yellow lit a cigarette and leaned up against the wall of a building. "Nah that's how the darker work is no a days. And working for two guys at once ain't helping it."

"Whatever Ken, I'll se you around."

"See you around and good luck on you mission tonight."

"You too, good luck with that little one of yours. I heard she's quite the show. Must be bringing in the big bucks eh."

"Yeah I guess you could say so. Anyway you better get going or you'll miss your date with the little princess."

"Will do." And with that said the dark haired mal sped off into the growing night.

-

-

-


	8. begining of a ball

**AN:/** Oh yeah, So close to the end. Only a few more chapters to go! Hopefully only two. Lot's of Neji sakura in this chapter, sorry I made sure to put some Sakura Sasuke in here as well but next chapter will be more Sakura Kiba and Sakura Naruto. I'm working more on the plot now and not as much on the fluff. Oh such hard work. That and this is pretty fresh so there are most likely a lot of errors and typos. Sorry for that.

**Note:/** Listening to Vanessa Mae.

**Disclaimer:/** Vesper chan dose not own Naruto.

* * *

**Left In Bleeding Broken Shards **

**Chapter eight**

**Beginning of a ball**

**II**

**Even though I'm the sacrifice,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you love me,  
I'm all alone.  
Isn't someone missing me?**

**II**

"Wow Neji kun you're backyard is so pretty. It's like a fairy garden with all the lights and flowers. I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful in my life!" Sakura exclaimed as Neji led her out onto the dance floor with expert grace and skill signifying he had experience in what he was doing.

"Hai, it is really pretty…" Neji replied airily not bothering to look at anything around him except for his pink haired dancing partner.

Sakura turned her bright shimmering forest green eyes away from her surroundings and locked on to the pearl white reflection of her partner's eyes. Neji '_eeped'_ and looked down embarrassed.

"Hmm, Neji kun why is your face so red?" Sakura asked innocently noticing the way her partner would look down at his feet more than at her as well as how red his cheeks were currently colored.

"It…it's just h-hot out here, that's all." Neji stuttered watching his feet as he held Sakura's hand and (most hesitantly) her waist while guiding her in the slow paced dace that suited them perfectly.

"Really? I though it was nice and cool out, but then it could be this kimono Hinata lent me, I've never ever worn something so light weight and expensive. I'm almost afraid to breath on it." The pink haired child giggled.

Sakura closed her eyes most of the way and let her feet glide over the dance floor as she followed Neji's shaky lead to the sharp and soothing fast paced melody of the violin that was playing in the background by a talented female professional. As ironic as it was Sakura could hear a female whisper soothingly the words _'Destiny… I'll find you… in my dreams' _once or twice. Thus she came to the conclusion that the song was entitled Destiny.

Neji smiled at Sakura never loosing his blush in her presence as he continued to let his moon colored eyes linger on her watery form as she seemed to float to the music and it's ever changing beat in the background. "That kimono isn't nearly as beautiful as the one wearing it right now Sakura chan." He complemented slowly in a silky even voice just like his father taught him the other day.

Sakura lightly laughed shaking her head ever so slightly to the side letting one of the loose light rose colored curls hanging over her ear to bounce up and down. "No Neji kun, no that's not true. That's not true…"

Neji's eyes softened in shock and his blush disappeared at the bitter sweet smile resting on her perfectly shaped bowtie lips. How could she say something like that about herself?

To him Sakura was the most gorgeous living thing that breathed on this earth and even beyond it if there was anything beyond it. Even now on the dance floor his heart with in his throat as he grasped her small fragile hand and held it in his own. She _felt _picturesque for that sake of all that is good and pure.

But it wasn't really the outside beauty that drew her closer to the girl her cherished so much in front of him. No, there was something else beneath the skin and bones of her body that you couldn't see or feel that he was drawn to. It was her in herself, her essence her spirit just _her_, that he had fallen head over hells with. They way she talked to him, no one else talked to him like that. They way she listened to him. He never had anyone listen to him very much let alone the way she listened.

He would grudgingly admit that there were faults and flaws in her features but they were faults and flaws he liked. Her wide forehead being the most noticeable one. He liked it, he though it was just plain out, dead on, adorable in every way. Some would call it ugly behind his back and to her face but between him, Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Inuzuka anyone that did never made the fatal and painful mistake of ever doing so again. Anyone that even tried to make her cry or feel bad about herself wasn't really worth their time but then that would leave Sakura to suffer their cruel words again and they could not let that happen.

He hated to share the credit with those three since Sakura chan would grow up and marry him one day, but he had to admit that they did care for her and it was good to know she wasn't being abused or anything like that.

He had to chuckle silently to himself as he led Sakura chan across the dace floor in the simple dance steeps she had picked up in only a few twirls. He couldn't imagine someone abusing sweet little Sakura chan in a million years. She was too innocent of a sole to harm or strike. Sure, some bullied her but they wouldn't go as far as to lash out and strike her.

He remembered what she said a few seconds ago about him being mistaken when he tried to complement her and being corrected on his apparent error. He needed to know what she mean when she said that, or more importantly who made her feel that way so he could make he or she regret it with every fiber of his or her miserable being. If he couldn't beat this person up he would just have to opt to scare the living daylight out of them with the help of his father and the title he bore in his eyes as an obvious member of the Hyuga family, branch or not he was still a Hyuga and with that name and honor comes power.

"Sakura chan, about before what did you mean when you told me I was wrong?" The chocolate haired Shinobi in training asked with a worried expression evident of his fear of having her bring up bad memories on his account.

Sakura looked away and parted her lips preparing to say something in response when a tap on the young boy's shoulder and a deep yet young male voice stopped the said girl from speaking.

"If you don't mind Hyuga you have hade the little cherry blossom for your dance and I would like a turn with the lovely lady if that is acceptable with her that is…" Sasuke purred smoothly bowing to Sakura in a formal manner he was taught to do but no doubt someone in his family since both Uchiha and Hyuga were instilled with the proper educates and knowledge needed for a formal event.

Neji growled under his breath knowing he would have to give Sakura up to Sasuke as were the rules. If he were to decline and insist to keep Sakura for another dance it would be an obvious insult that could be the break in the ice the Uchiha clan needed to start a out right feud with the Hyuga clan. Oh how the pearl eyed Shinobi to be loathe politics with every fiber of his being.

"No, of course not Uchiha." Neji all but growled out releasing Sakura's small delicate hand which he so enjoyed holding in the brief amount of time he was allowed to, and bowed to the dark eyed male before him who also desired the pink haired beauty that had won over the hearts of so many.

"If you don't mind Sakura chan, I believe this joyous dance belongs to me." Sasuke smoothly purred offering his hand to her with an elegant flourish that made Neji roll his eyes before departing in a huff.

Sakura chuckled and smiled softly. "Sasuke kun you don't have to be so formal with me. It's still me after all."

"Ah but fair maiden a gentleman quite like myself should always treat a budding beauty such as yourself with curtsey whenever he happens to encounter one." Sasuke joked with a silky smooth voice that helped him achieve the title of number one heartthrob in the hidden leaf village.

Much to his dismay it did not have the desired effect on the female of his burning affection, as she just laughed at his words taking his hand in her own and holding onto his shoulder as he hesitantly laid his hand on her hip.

"Sasuke you can always make me laugh, I'm having such a wonderful time here. I have never danced before like this in my life but I find myself enjoying it as if I had done so my entire life." Sakura replied as Sasuke led her gracefully through the movements in tune with the new violin music.

"You do dance wonderfully Sakura chan, just like me right? We should dance together more often. I like dancing with you."

Sakura nodded with a smile. "We should. I love parties like this. I've never been to one though. I've seen a bunch but I've never attended, let alone one as beautiful as this. I don't think I've ever been to something to elegant in my life. I feel so happy."

"Just wait till the Uchiha have their own party. Ours always are better than the ones the Hyuga clan throws. We have ponds in out backyard with Koi fish and Sakura trees and fountains and our parties are always the best. When we have one I'll invite you and they you can dance with me again."

"I like dancing, I'll make sure to come to your party once you throw it." Sakura' said with a bright smile at the mention of another party before a though entered her mind and smashed her glass hopes against a marble surfaces resulting in her smile fading a bit

"Hmm, Sakura what's wrong?" Sasuke asked concerned.

"I don't know If I'll be able to go…"

"Why would you not be able to come? My mom loves you and I'm sure she would love to have you come. You could come over early and she could dress you up and then we can pay until everyone arrives and then you could dance the whole night with me."

"It's my father. I don't know if he would like me going." Sakura then leaned in closer to Sasuke to whisper something in his ear making him blush a light shade of pink at the lack of personal space. "He doesn't even know that I'm here right now. He thinks I'm back at home. I know he wouldn't want me coming to something like this but he had to go out early this night so I got lucky."

"Why doesn't your dad like you going out to parties? It's not like they're the bad kind of parties my mom and dad kept talking to me about. Why wouldn't he want you to be happy?"

"I don't know why. That's just the way he is." Sakura replied sadly hating how she had to talk about her father to someone. Her tongue felt numb in her mouth like it was dunked in something so rotten the taste buds all died on her. Thinking about her father was something hard for her to do on it's own but speak of him to someone else seemed impossible. Suddenly she didn't feet so comfortable with herself.

Sasuke saw the hurt, sorrowful expression on her face and hastily made a attempt to remove it. He didn't like seeing her like that. She needed to be smiling, she needed to by happy, she needed to be laughing for him. If she wasn't he wasn't happy. In order for he himself to obtain happiness Sakura first had to be happy. It felt wrong to feel joyful when she wasn't joining him in it.

"Then you can come over to my house during the day and dance with me. My mom plays the piano so she can make music for us to dance to and we can have our own little privet party together just by ourselves that no one has to know about. You can do that right?"

"You're mom would play the piano for us?"

Sasuke nodded happily watching Sakura's face light up. It made him light up on the inside to see her happy and smiling again. And it didn't hurt that he had just scored some privet time with Sakura chan away from that Neji Hyuga who had his hands al over his girl only a few minuets ago. The nerve of some people.

"Yeah she's a really good pianist. You have to hear her play sometime soon okay?" Sasuke asked letting go of Sakura as the song ended and holding out his pinky finger.

"Okay I promise." Sakura echoed entwining her pink finger in with his own.

-

-

-

A man with dark brown hair wearing a Kumogakure headband and dressed in a man's dark green Yukata over top his hidden ninja gear. His trained calculating eyes scanned the area weaving through the many dancing couple to locate his preferred target.

"Hinata chan I can't find her since the Uchiha here let her out of his sight for that split second." Whined a young seven year old male with coffee colored hair pulled back towards the bottom as he chased after his younger cousin.

The cloud nin whipped his eyes to the boy's small form trailing him until he ran up to an smaller child with the same moon colored Hyuga eyes lined by more feminine lashes defining her as the Hyuga princess of the main house; Hinata.

"I told you it wasn't my fault Hyuga." An Uchiha of the same size, maybe an since shorter growled back trailing the older male while flicking his eyes around the crowded room searching for something.

His target held her small pale hands up to her face in worry trying to locate who or whatever the two boys in front of her had lost.

He took a steep closer to try and learn what they had lost. This was useful information. If he could find whatever hey were looking for before they themselves did he could use whatever it was to lure the Hyuga princess away and transport her back to him village so much faster than hoped.

"Where are Kiba and Naruto? They're not around her either? Do you think one of them could know what happened to Sakura chan?" Hinata asked looking around worriedly.

So it was a girl named Sakura that they were looking for. Most likely with two boys named Naruto and Kiba. He recalled hearing something of a boy named Naruto in this village. He was rumored to be the vessel of the demon fox. He wasn't a total idiot, he made sure to do his research before attempting something this big. Naruto Uzumaki would be about their height with those whisker marks that defined him to the world as a monster.

"I don't see them anywhere in here, do you think they might have gone outside?" Neji asked looking at the exposed forth wall that was completely open to the outside with part of the celebration's guest enjoying the exposed garden s close to the house.

"No I don't think Sakura chan would go outside on her own. She doesn't know her way around here." Sasuke offered brushing a few of his bangs out of his line of vision.

"But Naruto and Kiba do." Hinata squeaked, her eyes growing wide.

"Oh no Sakura chan's outside with those two!' The brown haire Hyuga named Neji cried before rushing outside with the Uchiha and his target trailing behind him.

He smirked at how well things were working out for him. All he had t do was find the fox container through his chakra and he would find this Sakura that his target was searching for. She would come to him. Suddenly his mission seemed so much easier.

-

-

-

Sayawoharau Shinken of the Shinken chan slowly but steadily made his way in to the celebration's main room with two Hyuga attendants at either side to guide the elderly man who appeared to be much older than he actually was. his body felt much older too.

He grunted a greeting to a passing Uchiha who stopped what he was doing to gawk at him. Gawk, the nerve. He hadn't come to feel insulted.

He spotted Hiashi speaking to who he presumed to be the head of the Uchiha clan, in a deep noble tone that he used to no doubt make himself appear more regal than the man in front of him.

The old man rolled his faded lavender colored eyes walking forward with doubt. He was seriously beginning to regret coming. Why had he come here again? Oh yeah that stupid gut feeling that wouldn't go away until he came to this stupid gathering of fools trying to make themselves appear better that the other around them.

Hiashi Noticed the light eyed man behind him and broke of his conversation a single word. The Uchiha turned away form the elder twin and stared at the escorted man who he couldn't believe he was seeing. Sayawoharau Shinken of the Shinken chan fidgeted, switching the weight of one foot to the other. He hated being looked at like an old fossil.

"Sayawoharau Shinken, It's wonderful to see you here at last." The Hyuga commented coming up to the older man's side. "I hope to hear that you had a satisfying rest during your stay with us."

Sayawoharau nodded his head in a yes motion refraining from speaking. His throat hurt to much to vibrate with words after so many days of silence.

"Sayawoharau Shinken? Do you mean of the Shinken chan?" The Uchiha asked in disbelief, his eyes widening in surprise.

Hiashi nodded with a laugh and began o brag to the man in front of him about his achievement. Oh how Sayawoharau wished he had not come. His thoughts were cut short when that feeling in his gut that rang like a gong reminded him of why he was here.

'Celebration… soon there will only be screams of panic.'

-

-

-

* * *

(Hands you a cookie for reading the whole chapter) I like giving out cookies. 

I started a form with info on a bunch of story ideas I have. Maybe one or two ideas that need to be adopted will be posted in the future but for now it's stories I have just started writing. So if you want to see that please go ahead.

**Please review!**

ja ne you lovely people


	9. Panic

V-chan dose not own Naruto and she never will.

Please Review!

* * *

Left In Bleeding Broken Shards

Chapter Nine

Panic

-

-

-

_Please, please forgive me,  
But I won't be home again.  
I know what you do to yourself,  
I breathe deep and cry out,  
"Isn't something missing?  
Isn't someone missing me?"_

_-_

_-_

_-_

Sakura couldn't remember much but what little broken fragments of her memory she could still keep to herself included sneaking out with Naruto and Kiba and jumping over the pretty fairy creak that ran through the backyards of the Hyugas household. They were together one minuet and maybe she blinked too long or something but, now there was darkness still around her.

Darkness. She couldn't see anything aside from the milky black fog that clouded her mind sticking securely to her consciousness like dried honey. She defiantly didn't blink to long.

Trying to push through it all Sakura stumbled through the sticky blackness around her and fought to reach out and feel something. Anything, she didn't care what, just something to return her to the land of the light.

Her large dazzling apple green eyes fluttered open hazed over a bit trying to focus the dizzy hue of blurred colors and shapes around her.

"What the…what happened to me? I don't remember being all the way out here," she coughed, pushing up off the cold dew tipped ground where she found herself sprawled out on.

"Sakura chan!" A worried, feminine voice called out rushing up to her fro behind and tackling her in a bone breaking, bear hug. "Sakura chan! You're safe!"

"H-Hinata chan? Where am I? I don't remember coming all the way out here and I closed my eyes for a minuet and I couldn't open them and…wait…why are you out here?" Sakura asked lifting a brow in confusion as she turned around in the tight hug.

"Yo-you disappeared. Sasuke and Neji kun and I all went out looking for you when we couldn't find you inside." Hinata replied stuttering on the verge of tears, not bothering to let go of her friend and possible loose her again.

"Hinata chan it's okay, I just got lost I guess and stumbled up here…"

"I was so scared I had lost my only friend!" Hinata interrupted hugging the older sister figure tighter crying just a bit.

Sakura looked a bit shocked at first but softened when she figured out what Hinata meant. She simply didn't want to be left alone with all those faceless people. It was a fear even the pink haired ninja in training struggled with.

As human beings, Sakura and Hinata were not built to be left alone. Everyone needed someone even if that said they preferred being alone. In fact the ones that said the preferred to be alone probably needed someone even more. It was simple human nature, there was no fighting it, everyone needed someone no matter who they were or what that said.

"Don't worry Hinata chan. I won't leave you. You won't have to be alone anymore." Sakura cooed softly brushing Hinata's hair down in a way she would a mother would.

"I sorry darlings but I don't think that's possible." A deep masculine voice spoke up behind the two making them spin around in shock.

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded standing in front of Hinata feeling a protectiveness in her wake up. This guy was bad news she just knew. Her eyes narrowed darkly when she noticed the chakra he didn't take the time to hide.

"Don't fret you little pretties. I'm just here to escort Hinata to where her father is waiting for her." A man with dark brown hair wearing a Kumogakure headband and dressed in a man's dark green Yukata spoke with a calm voice as he stepped into the moonlight.

"We can get back to the party just fine, we don't need anyone to escort us." Sakura all but growled taking a steep back and forcing Hinata to do the same. Anyone could detect the disbelief in her voice.

"Ah but you see Hinata's father got worried and left the party and asked me to fetch the little Hyuga princess. Only I know where he is right now." He said deceiving through his teeth.

"Do you think we're really that stupid. Lord Hyuga san would never do something as foolish as to leave a party he hosted unoccupied. Anyone would know that." Sakura seethed catching him in his lie.

Seeing that his lie was shattered the Kumogakure Shinobi growled unleashing a short katana and rushed forward knocking Sakura aside and gathering Hinata up in his arms. "Get out of my way you little brat."

Sakura cried out falling down once again and looked up surprised to see the foreign ninja standing over her with a gloating smile. She could see her friend tucked under his arm squirming uncomfortable.

The petal haired child glared at the gloating look in the man's eyes as he underestimated her. That was the last mistake he would ever make. She didn't come away from those illegal underground fights empty handed.

Reaching inside her dress Sakura pulled out something that looked like a bobby pin and sprang forward. Bracing herself she rammed it into the man's leg digging the sharpened object deep into his unprotected shin.

He didn't like that, she would imagine seeing as how he dropped Hinata and howled out in pain.

"Quick Hinata, this way we got to be fast." Sakura hissed grabbing her friend by the arm and dragging her along as the two made their way towards the flashing fairy lights and the beautiful garden landscape.

"Sakura chan he's behind us!" Hinata screamed frightened hearing the man approaching the duo from behind.

"Crap we're too far out and no one will find us here in time." Sakura cried I slight desperation as the fear of having a highly trained shin obi chasing her with a desire for revenge. She had a right to be afraid.

"I have a flare in my kimono I ca light if we're in danger but I would have to stop to get it." Hinata offered struggling to keep up.

Sakura looked behind her and cursed softly, a habit she picked up from her father and various other places, and pulled her dear friend behind a tree. "Lit it here I'll cover you. This guy would overtake us sooner or later even with an injured leg."

"H-hai Sakura chan." Hinata chirped obediently reaching deep inside her Obi and pulling out a firecracker shaped object with a string at the end.

"Lit it." Sakura shouted franticly seeing her enemy emerge from the thicket of trees. Her body shook violently as if death it's self was standing in front of her.

Her father was not as experienced as this guy and would never kill her for fear of loosing his only link to some decant money. This guy was not like that, he would not hesitate to kill her and end her existence. The fear of death was never as bold as it had been now.

A loud hiss and roar sounded from behind her as Hinata violently jerked out the string sending the red object high into the sky before exploding in an array of colorful yellow and red lights that could be seen from miles away.

"Got it, I got it!" Hinata cried, her small quiverish voice almost as frantic as Sakura's own.

"Good job Hinata chan!" Sakura replied with a relieved smile that lasted until a shadow cam to block the moon's light from reaching her small child's body. For a moment her fear had disappeared with the sight of the signal lighting up the night sky in a frantic message of distress that was sure to attract help. But the fear that he fled from her was back tenfold with the darkness that fell over her.

"Guess I'll have to this faster than expected." He hissed angrily lifting his katana high above his head to block out the moon's ray in a glare promising death.

-

-

-

Joyful laughter filled the room as the innumerable invited guest amused themselves with various forms of amusement provided to them by none other than the Hyuga household themselves. Chatter and gossip was exchanged among the woman as the men discussed business and relived the old days when they were at the top of their game.

Music drifted in the background like a cloud, scooting those joined together in a soft slow stepped dance as they couples glided across the never resting dance floor that had even hosted a few smaller guest.

Silence was broken with screams of panic and distress. The soothing music drifting like a cloud broke out I in a thunderous display of fright. Gossip and conversation alike ceased as many screamed and many more stared up at the sky in astonishment.

The Hyuga distress flare was a commonly know signal in the sky seldom used due to pride and the white eyed clan's power. But when it was set off it was taken seriously, especially with the red ting around the ends, signaling I was a main house member in danger.

Hiashi Hyuga stared up at brilliant display of colors I the sky with shock evident in his pale, pearl colored orbs. There were only two people he remembered giving that flare to and one of them was here with him so he knew who it was that was in danger.

"Hinata." He uttered darkly narrowing his eyes at the thought of someone going against him and attacking his daughter. There was going to be hell to pay for a certain someone when he got his hands on him or her.

"You two with me." He quickly ordered pointing to two random Hyuga branch members and brushing past a handful of stunned people as he made his way towards the source of the signal where Hinata was.

"Brother," Hizashi called rushing to his side. "I'm coming with you."

The elder of the two twins knew it was a statement not a question despite his lower rank. His younger brother was protective over Hinata chan as much as he was and was clearly irritated at the idea of someone trying to harm her.

"Fine. Keep up." And with that the group leapt up into the sky taking off like silent shadows towards the source of the distress signal.

Their party would have to wait.

-

-

-

Sayawoharau Shinken of the Shinken chan stared up at the fading colors sprayed across the moonlit sky crying out distress and blinked slowly.

Just as he had predicted the screams of terror were around him surrounding him so hat he could hardly hear himself think. The people around him obviously feared the worse seeing as though it took a lot to get a Hyuga to ask for help. The most likely believed they were under attack by a rather large and unstoppable army.

There was no wonder why he and his clan distanced themselves from these people. There were only a handful remaining with a calm outlook after the departure of a small squad of elite Hyuga shinobi.

_'Such a disgrace. They should be ashamed.'_

Casting a sharpened eye back out into the darkness he could make out their outlines flickering forward with force and determination. Especially Hiashi Hyuga and his younger twin. It was personal for them, the Hinata girl being a daughter and niece.

'_Is it the family bond that gives them such strength and determination?'_

Family bonds, in his eyes it was a weakness.

His only son was destined to become the head of the clan but his heart and sole was not in it. As fate would have it his son rebelled and fled with a wife bringing dishonor to his house. Looking back there were so many things he should have done by family ties kept him from completing his duty.

His son killed without reason.

A sin punishable by death.

And he looked away.

Because of Family ties.

His shame was too much for him so he left on a pilgrimage to hopefully regain some scrap of his former honor. That was seven and a half years ago, maybe more, he didn't keep track of the time. He knew he could never regain what was lost and now his house had no heir. For the first time in over in one hundred years the clan would have an impure leader with common blood.

His thoughts jerked to a stop when his mind's senses skyrocket in familiar chakra signature. No, just very similar. But that would mean, his eyes turned once more towards the field where the signal had come from, that one of those in trouble had a connection to him.

_'Could it be?'_

-

-

-

The blade that hung suspended above her tiny head seemed to gleam wickedly with malice, begging to let gravity pull it downward and embed it's self deep into her skull, effectively sending her into the deep dreamless sleep she would never wake up from named death.

Her eyes were wide and her lips parted in frozen screams of terror. Her breath was, likewise, frozen in her lungs never leaving her lungs due to the overpowering fear that gripped her.

Death. There it was right in front of her. She was going to die. Death was finally going to claim her after avoiding it for so long. After only six years of life she would fall into the eternal rest.

She quivered and let out a strangled meow in fear. The shinobi before her laughed seeing her trembling form and slightly lowered his weapon. He would enjoy this kill as long as possible, forgetting about the signal flare.

"You though you were so powerful sticking me with a pin like that eh? You thought you had the slightest of chances against a highly trained shinobi such as myself. Well I got news for you kid…you don't. You're going to die here."

"…No." Was all Sakura could manage to utter out in fear as she stared at the glistening blade held casually in his hands.

"Yes, now-" His words stopped abruptly when he felt four high level signatures approaching his position at an incredibly past pace. His eyes widened when he realized it was because of the signal flare.

"Great now I'm going to have to hurry if I'm going to enjoy this." He muttered raising the sword high above his head once again.

Sakura's eyes grew even more wide as her body continued to ignore the mind's command to move and run away. Her mind was dead now, and her body limp.

"Goodnight."

That was the last thing she heard before the moon screamed and the blade fell blinding her with it's light. --

Hiashi Hyuga, flanked by two other Hyuga shinobi and his brother glided through the night flickering forward in an amazing speed coming upon his desired destination in a matter of seconds.

He could see now a tall man in formal attire, most likely used to sneak into his party, raise a katana above his head letting I catch the moon's light and shine wickedly before starting it's decent.

Now, closer than before, he could see the small white and pink form of Hinata's good friend whom happened to attend the part that night. That man was going kill her! He was going to kill a little girl! For that fact along the Hyuga head felt a desire to kill the mysterious man but because this girl was Hinata's friend the death it would destroy his daughter.

"Goodnight." He heard the man mutter in disgust.

And then the blade came down.

His eyes widened as he watched it descend towards the little girl and slice towards her head. An inch away a cloud of grayish white rose around her and the outcome was blocked to his eyes.

"What the!?" The Cloud Ninja cried falling back, his sword falling limply at his side in a dull clatter.

Hiashi Hyuga's activated eyes narrowed when he saw that the sword was steaming as if just emerging from a great fire. His younger brother and the two branch members had located Hinata and were surround her in a protective barrier.

"I'm not done! I've been trained for this!" The injured cloud shinobi hissed pulling out a cloudy white vile and throwing it down I front of him sending a flash of bright light up to blind the Hyuga's who had very sensitive eyes at the moment.

"Hinata!" the father cried knowing she was in danger during his time of blindness.

He tried moving forward but tripped and began to fall forward when a pair of strong arms grabbed his shoulder and kept him steady.

"Easy there, keep yourself centered Hyuga." Sayawoharau Shinken of the Shinken chan camly stated helping the queasy man back to his stumbling feet.

A fast rustling sound whipped past them and a scream came from Hinata who was not in any way blind followed by the sound of metal meeting metal in a sharp clang that echoed around the small group of shinobi and bystanders alike. The grinding sound of one of the swords groaned as the force behind it tried to overpower his or her opponent.

"What that? Who are you?" The cloud shinobi asked in anger and surprise pushing against his sword.

"I will not allow you to hurt Sakura's friend you fiend. Attacking a young girl is a low act even for scum like yourself. I will kill you and return to you you're honor." Said a slender female dressed in layer upon layer of red and white samurai armor around her body.

A pink Sakura flower was painted on her breastplate symbolizing the short life she was destined to most likely live being what she was, a samurai. Two long curled, cherry pink locks of hair fell around her face from underneath her helmet as she bent into the attack with pink/purple eyes narrowed in holy wrath.

"Who are you?" He asked again being pushed back a bit by her in human strength.

"The one who will kill you." She seethed before pushing her all into an attack and falling out of the lock and nicking a piece of his arm.

Sayawoharau Shinken gasped slightly feeling his lungs constrict within his chest in surprise as the tips of tears began to prick at his vision.

"Hana Shinken." He whispered letting a tear slip down. the first tear in seven years.

The pink haired warrior danced forward twirling and bending out of the way of the man's attack relinquishing from performing any of her own. Her eyes were half lidded and her moth set in a firm line. Over all she looked board as she easily dodged the complex jabs and attacks that came her way.

"Enough…" She whispered turning around and drawing her own sword and bringing it down on the man's own, cutting the top part clean off and going through his chest just barley nicking it.

She quickly jabbed at his legs and mobilized him within seconds. "A man without honor… truly pathetic. To attack my descendant and her friend, both who are only children is a sign of weakness. I should enjoy killing you but…" The woman looked over at Sayawoharau Shinken and the Hyuga clan leader who was slowly regaining his vision. "I would imagine your death would start another war so I can't. Cling to life while you can."

Slipping her slim lade back into it's sheath the woman with purple/pink eyes turned towards the older man who was staring up at her in confusion and surprise almost as if he didn't believe she wasn't really there. "What are you doing here? You're long dead!"

"Well hello to you to Sayawoharau kun," the woman grumbled in a slight mocking manner while plancing a steady hand on her hip. "After all this ideally can come up with is a 'What are you doing here? You're long dead!' Boy, you sure know how to make a girl feel welcomed."

The older man narrowed his eyes slight and took on a stern tone. "This is no time to joke Hana. You're dead. Now tell me what are you doing here."

"What do you think I'm doing here. I'm doing what any great Shinken would do…I'm looking out for a descendant of mine."

"I don't need you."

She smirked and her eyes seemed to sparkle with a coyness. "I never said anything about you, silly old man."

His eyes widened a bit before narrowing in anger. "Don't fool around with me. You don't have any descendants. The Shinken clan is as good as dead without a heir."

Her rosy red lips parted in a bright smile as she let her hands fall at her sides, off her hops. "Yes I do. Now you better take are of her real well, she's been through hell with that bastard of a son you have."

And with those last words her body exploded into a large cloud of gray white smoke slowly blowing away to revile the dazed body of a young pink haired child with purple pink eyes slowly fading back to a dark emerald green.

"Ugh" She moaned falling forward in a dead faint too tired to keep her eyes open.

-

-

-

* * *

Okay how many of you knew Sakura's father was Sayawoharau's son when he first thought about the guy? Anyone? Well yeah here is the next chapter. One more chapter and then I will be done! (dance of joy)

Pretty please lots of reviews and I'll update faster! It's true, I have a self goal for each chapter of each story before updating. So review and I will update faster!

Ja ne pretty people!


	10. Recovery

**AN:/** Because I like writing this so much (but mostly because I got so many reviews) on this piece…I have decided to drag out the ending as much as possible. Be happy people. Be very happy. I tried to get some fluff in there but…well you decide on how it came out. It's not Naruto, Sasuke, Neji or Kiba fluff so look out.

**Disclaimer:/** As you are well aware Naruto and all It's dang awesome rights do not belong to me. Thus the reason I am condemned to fan fiction like so many other poor souls.

* * *

Chapter Ten

Recovery

-

-

-

And if I bleed, I'll bleed,  
Knowing you don't care.  
And if I sleep just to dream of you  
I'll wake without you there,  
Isn't something missing?  
Isn't something…

-

-

-

The nurse with mustard yellow hair sighed sadly looking down at the unconscious girl that had been brought in a little while ago with a crowd or rather concerned children on the verge of tears begging for the staff to save their friend.

Looking over the pink haired child of no more than maybe seven, most likely six, it appeared she took a little tumble and passed out from lack of energy and a slight bump present on the corner of her head off to the left.

"A little one up and out this late? It's no wonder she passed out," she murmured to herself shaking her head slightly with closed eyes. "Don't they know it's not healthy to stay out this late?"

People rushed busily outside the halls ushering other along and delivering goods that would be used to help heal the battered a wounded. The loud rattle of a medicine cart passed by and for a moment the mustard haired nurse feared the noise would wake up the slumbering child. But it didn't. That was a surprise.

"The poor thing must be out like a light," the nurse murmured not so quietly to herself as she scanned over the message printed on the chart she held in her highly trained hands with care.

On her notes it told her the young girl's name was Sakura, the last name was not printed causing her to frown. She was six years old and a new addition to the village hidden in the leaves. She lives alone with her father being the only know family currently alive. It looked like something else was written underneath her father's name but had been crossed out too many times to read.

"Hey Chiyuki…you busy with the little one or are you free yet? Our shifts end in a little while so we can go get something to drink if you want." A brunet haired nurse with a pair of happily glowing lavender blue eyes.

"That sounds like a great idea, Airi. You know a new coffee opened up not far from here and the pull all nighters. I've been wanting to go there for a while but haven't had the time." The nurse addressed as Chiyuki replied with a smile waving the chip board in her hand a bit.

"How long till you think you'll be done with this one?"

"Not long just a little bump on the head and exhaustion. I'll be done in two seconds three top."

"Okay, don't rush yourself I'll be waiting. Ja ne Chiyuki chan!"

"Ja ne Airi."

Moving on Chiyuki read the supposed report on why she was emitted into the hospital noticing it was a bit more complex than she originally guessed. It appeared a rouge ninja had a death wish and attacked the Hyuga compound during a evening party and used the girl as hostage for some time. That must have been where the bump came from. There was a possible wound on her back since there were hints of red seeping through her shredded and dirtied garment.

Looking up she guessed that was why the girl was laying on her stomach with her head turned away.

"Poor thing. I guess I had better get to it a cheek on you." Chiyuki Stated to herself setting her clipboard down on the side table and beginning to indo the ornate obi that wrapped around her waist without disturbing the girl's slumber too much.

Soon the once elaborately decorated, now ruined, piece of material was removed and discarded in a special bin meant for such trash.

Next was the kimono's outer layer. This was just as ruined as it's matching Obi, if not more so. Grass stains were the least of it's problems compared to the many rips and tears smudged with mud and what looked like blood. "So she was bleeding after all." She used discarding the garment in a hurry.

Now all that was left was the smoky gray Yukata that was worn under the kimono. Peeling off the back the nurse instantly felt something wet and sticky, recognizing it as blood. She knew what was coming and after working so many years in the field. The woman had a strong stomach for gore but what she saw on the back of a small child took the cake.

Her scream could be heard two floors away.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

-

-

-

Hiashi Hyuga grimaced at the sight and found it hard to keep his stomach from retching at the sight. As a shinobi he saw rotting bodies covered in blood on the battle field man a time but seeing such marks on a child seemed to be a completely different thing in his eyes.

Sayawoharau Shinken growled under his breath digging his nails into his palms hoping the physical pain would take his attention away from the sight of his granddaughter suffereing from the wounds his son inflicted. What could have happened to that man to turn him into a person who could do this without remorse? To a little girl no less.

"This did not happen last night."

Sayawoharau turned to the Hyuga and sighed shaking his head with closed eyes. "No, it did not. These are old scars only partly healed by her bloodline limit. She is too young to access it but was forced to do so, due to the severity of her wounds it would appear."

"By how did those wounds get there? I've seen her with Hinata and Neji and she moves as if there isn't a thing ailing her." Hiashi retorted. "These wounds look really old, and she's so young. It doesn't make any sense."

"It dose to me…"

"Explain yourself." Hiashi quickly commanded in a stern tone that surprised the older man.

"Do you see yourself in such a place to address me in such a way Hyuga?"

The addressed man grunted turning his full attention to the man beside him. "Yes I do. That girl is a key in Hinata's life. A very large art of the next heiress becoming head of the Hyuga clan resides in the confidence your granddaughter gives my child. So yes I do see myself in such a place to address you in such a way "

For a while the Shinken clan leader didn't look like he would say anything but decided to break the silence and answer the question. "I had a son that left my clan a long time ago for unspecific reasons. I do not know what became of him and for a long time I was unaware of his actions. It seems her married a woman from the Haruno clan and had a child. The one you see before you here."

"Wait Sakura is from the Haruno clan as well?" Hiashi asked butting in.

"Yes from the Haruno clan. This is the reason for her hair color. I knew he was seeing one of their girls but I didn't give it much thought."

"They should know about this."

"They will know but for now stop interrupting me and let me finish." At the old man's words Hiashi ceases his questions and chose to listen without words of his own. "As I said, my son must have had a child and weather in childbirth or by some other the mother died leaving my son and my granddaughter alone. That boy could never keep a job so I would imagine they moved around a lot. He always had trouble facing his inner demons. He was never gentle with those around him and would take out his anger in the most brutal ways. Sakura was the only one there when his fits came out. She was the only thing he could see to help him ease his anger."

Hiashi's pearl white eyes widened in shock. He knew what the older man was going to say and yet couldn't bring himself to believe it. "No…"

"Yes the reason for these scars are because of her father. The very man who helped bring her into this world beat her to ease his own anger."

"That savage. Her own father? How could such a human do such a thing. Let alone a father to his daughter?" The Hyuga asked turning his shocked moon white eyes towards the slumbering girl.

"I wish it wasn't so but it is…" Sayawoharau breathed with a tired voice as he to turned his eyes to watch his dear grandchild.

Hiashi reached out and hesitantly fingered the tattered bandages that she had been wearing under her kimono. They were dirty and bloodstained. One of the reasons why some of her scars were infected and needed overnight treatment.

He looked down at Sakura who was still laying on her stomach exposing her scarred back and arms to the world without knowing. The doctor would be coming in soon.

"She looks so peaceful sleeping like that. How can she be so calm?" He asked.

"It's part of her mutated blood line. Her nerves are damaged in the back and arms where her scars are. She can't feel anything. She's completely numb to all the pain. This would have killed her in a few years if we didn't find out." Sayawoharau explained calmly with unwavering eyes. The older man than turned on her heel and began to exit the room.

"Where are you going?"

"To find my son and fix something that should have been fixed years ago."

-

-

-

"Shhhh. If you wake her the nurse will be mad at us."

"But I want to see Sakura chan looking at me. I don't like it when her eyes are closed like that it looks like she-"

"Don't say it. Don't even think it. She's just resting a bit."

"Sasuke is right, we all sleep even Sakura chan, she needs to sleep, Naruto."

"But still Neji…"

"I told you guys to be quiet! If Sakura chan wakes up from your loud mouths you're all getting knuckle sandwiches."

"Sorry Hinata chan." Three voices chorused.

"I was quiet Hinata."

"Yeah you were now stay quiet, we didn't come her to wake her up Kiba."

Sakura heard voices and rustling around her. A weight settled at one end of her bed and she felt someone pull a blanket up further over her bandaged body.

It was about time she woke up.

She breathed in deeply and rolled over a bit onto her side opening her eyes slightly. "Did I miss the morning?" She asked with a small yawn.

"Sakura chan! You're awake!" Hinata cried jumping on top her friend and engulfing her in a large bear hug. "Was it the boys that woke you up? If it was I can pummel them for you."

"Nah I have slept way too long already. I was going to wake up whether they were here or not." Sakura chuckled wincing slightly as the pain in her body died down.

"Sakura chan I'm so happy you're awake. The nurse said we could come in if we didn't wake you up but she never said anything about you waking up yourself." Naruto chirped smiling brightly.

"Did you all come to see me?" Sakura asked looking over at Sasuke, Neji and Kiba who were also standing in her room with her.

"Of course we came to see you! When we heard about what happened at the part to you and Hinata we were so worried we made or parents bring us here so we could wait for you to wake up." Kiba exclaimed happily throwing his hand behind his head.

"We weren't going to go home until we were sure you were alright. You were in this room for a very long time and my uncle said it was because they had to do something called surgery. I was really scared for you when I heard about this, Sakura chan." Neji added gently laying a hand on top of Sakura's own.

"H-how long was I asleep. I couldn't have been asleep that long." Sakura asked turning a shade paler for some strange reason.

"You were asleep for two days Sakura chan." Sasuke quickly piped up feeling a bit left out at not being able to say anything to the wounded girl he had a _obvious_ crush for.

"T-two…d-days?" Sakura stuttered starting to shake visibly.

"Sakura-Sakura chan what's wrong?" Hinata asked being the first to notice this.

Two days…her father would kill her for not coming home. He would kill her for not coming home and for letting people see the marks on her back he made her swear to never show. When she went through surgery they must have seen her back and arms since she was now dressed in bandages and a light blue colored hospital gown.

Sakura shook her head forcing herself to chuckle. "It's nothing Hinata chan. I'm just really hungry that's all. I haven't eaten in a long time."

"Well duh two whole days without food? No wonder you're hungry. Don't worry about it, I'll get something for you to snack on until the nurse comes back." Hinata cooed before turning to the four boys and glaring. "You four, my baby is hungry! Get her some food!"

The four 'eeed' under her deadly glare and shrank back nodding hastily at her narrowed moon colored eyes that seemed to be burring their insides out. "Hai! Hai!" And with that they took off running.

"You didn't need to scare them so badly Hinata chan."

"But you should have seen them fretting in the waiting room! And then when we came in they were all fighting over who would give you flowers and who would get to see you first. Arg it was so annoying listening to the fight all the time. I mean they were supposed to be quiet so they didn't wake you up. But you know what. They were still loud." Hinata rambled on waving her arms and hands in the air.

Sakura blinked. "They brought me flowers?"

Hinata stopped talking and nodded pointing to a vase sitting on her side table fill ed with yellow daises from Naruto, a rose from Sasuke, bluebells from Neji, and Carnations from Kiba.

Sakura's eyes softened and remembered something about a white flower and a brief stay on the outskirts of the mist village.

-

-

-

"It's a lily. Isn't it pretty?"

Sakura remained poorly hidden behind the rock she had found in the middle of the grassy land.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

She heard that voice again and dared a peek at the young boy sitting among the flowers and waving grass. He saw her looking at her and smiled waving a bit. Sakura sucked in her breath and ducked behind her rock once again. The tiny pink haired child couldn't hear him anything anymore and so she breathed a sight of relief thinking she was alone once more.

"I'm still here." He whispered sitting down next to her as she gasped in shock and fell backwards in serprise.

He chuckled seeing her flustered face and offered her his hand. "You don't need to act like that around me. I am not here to hurt you."

Sakura frowned sitting up and smoothing out her wrinkled cloths and trying to appear as neat and clean as her rags would allow. "I didn't think you would hurt me."

"Then why did you hide from me?" He asked with a wise smile that seemed to enjoy the conversation.

Sakura stuttered turning red from embarrassment at not being able to come up with and answer. Muttering something along the lines of 'I wasn't hiding' she dropped her head in shame.

Anyway what are you doing all the way out here? You look really young to be without your parents. Where are your mother and father?" He asked looking around for the said people.

Sakura pulled her small skinny legs up to her chest and rested her head between the two bumps and wrapped her arms around her folded legs. "I don't have a mother. She died."

The silver haired boy looked shocked and a bit ashamed at her reply offering a sad smile. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Sakura nodded not really caring what he said. Whatever it was it would bring her a mother like everyone else. It wouldn't bring her a friend, it wouldn't stop her dad from hitting her at the tender age she was.

"My name is Kaguya Kimimaro. It's a pleasure to meet you. What is your name?" The silver haired boy named Kimimaro asked wit a tender smile aimed her way in hopes of cheering her up.

Sakura sniffed and pulled her legs down just a bit. "My-my name is S-Sakura."

"Ahh Sakura is such a pretty name. It means cherry blossom. I've seen the trees only once but I can still remember them as if they were right in front of me. Your name suits you, with your hair color and all. I would not be surprised if you grew up to become as beautiful as the cherry blossom trees themselves."

Sakura blushed looking down. This time it wasn't from embarrassment. "W-what are you doing out here?"

"I'm picking flowers." Kimimaro answered with a smile holding up his white lily so that she could see them. "What are you doing here? Are you looking for flowers too?"

Sakura shook her head letting her legs fall out of their folded position. "No I…I'm just…well doing nothing. My daddy is asleep so I have to leave him alone so he won't wake up before he needs to."

The young silver haired boy with red rimmed jade eyes frowned lowering his flower to his lap as his face adapted a look of concern. "Sakura san, you shouldn't be out here all alone if your dad is asleep. It's not safe. Not everyone here is as nice as I am. There are a lot of bad people in mist that you need to look out for. I've seed one or two of them sadly and I don't want to ever again."

Sakura shook her head and laughed. "I'll be okay. After all, you weren't a bad person."

"How can you be sure of something like that?" He asked arching a single eyebrow in disbelief.

Sakura laughed anticipating this answer and pointed down to the flower resting in his hands. "I don't know why but I know that someone who is drawn to this flower can't be truly evil from the bottom of their hearts. This lily stands for purity. You wouldn't have picked it if you had evil thoughts in your heart at the time." She then picked up the flower and held it up to his face and frowned. "But for you, when you picked this flower and this flower alone, without any others, it signaled your lonely heart. Are you lonely Kimimaro?"

The white haired boy gaped a bit, surprised that this girl he hardly knew already knew so much about him from a simple flower. His jade eyes softened a bit and he smiled shaking his small head from side to side in a now manner.

"No…not anymore Sakura san." He answered smiling brightly for her.

Sakura smiled and laughed happily seeing his smile showering him with one of her own. Pretty soon she would have to go back home to her father and travel with him to their new home in mist, leave behind the white haired boy who she had been secretly watching for several days now.

Yes Sakura had stalked Kimimaro like the rest of his fan girls, but not for the same reasons. She had meet other boys and seen how they acted towards her. Call her names, pick on her, push her into the mud. They were all rude and rough and she could tell this before she even meet them by the look in their eyes.

But Kimimaro was different. He wasn't like that and it puzzled her.

Glancing up at the sun she frowned seeing it was about to set and send this part of the world into twilight. She would have to be home soon.

Closing her eyes she stood up and brushed the stay blades of grass of her pants making sure there were none left on her.

"Sakura san? Are you leaving already?" Kimimaro asked looking up in confusion at the standing girl.

Sakura smiled sadly and nodded. "Yeah I should have been home by now. It's late for me since I live a ways off."

Kimimaro looked down at his hands where Sakura had left his white colored lily and then looked back up at the said pink haired girl who was about to leave with that same lonely look hidden behind her eyes.

He knew she had been watching him but thought she was not like all the other girls that would oogle him outside the cage he was condemned to. The same cage he would have to go back to once they found him here. She looked like she was locked away in a different kind of cage.

"Sakura san, can I ask you something before you leave?" Kimimaro asked standing up next to the pink haired girl a good three inches taller.

"What is it Kimimaro san?" Sakura asked not at all sad that she was delayed in her leave.

"Well it's two things. One, I want you to call me Kimimaro _kun_. And Two, I want to call you Sakura chan, Sakura chan." He confessed smiling happily as he took the lily from his hands and pinned it behind a lock of her Sakura colored hair realizing it matched the shade of the blush on her cheeks.

"Kimimaro kun?"

-

-

-

* * *

Yes, I bet you didn't expect Kimimaro kun there at the end did you? 

Ugh so tired...I'm going to go sleep now...

ja ne


	11. Day of Heartach

It's shorter than I wanted but not too short, don't kill me…

Yes here it is, the final chapter in this oh so loved fictional work of mine. I should warn you it's no meant to be the end, but merely the first part of a much bigger story. If I get enough reviews begging for a sequel then I will write one. (I'm aiming for 30 just to let you know) But yeah, get you tissues and chocolate and don't take my warnings lightly.

I strongly sugest you read King of the Sandbox and White Winter just so you know what's going on with the other guys. I do not own Naruto or the song Everything Burns. (I so wish I did though…)

* * *

_Chapter Eleven_

_ Day of Heartache_

-

-

-

She sits in her corner

Singing herself to sleep

Wrapped in all of the promises

That no one seems to keep

She no longer cries to herself

No tears left to wash away

Just diaries of empty pages

Feelings gone a stray

But she will sing

Till everything burns

While everyone screams

Burning their lies

Burning my dreams

All of this hate

And all of this pain

I'll burn it all down

As my anger reigns

Till everything burns

Walking through life unnoticed

Knowing that no one cares

Too consumed in their masquerade

No one sees her there And still she sings

-

-

-

"I…I don't….I don't understand!" Sakura choked out with a group of tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she desperately tried to reason away the words haunting her mind.

"Sakura chan…" Sayawoharau Shinken began already feeling his heart scream in pain at her tears and the state of her emotions. "I wish there was another way but your father has too many connections in the village for you to live peacefully. We're doing all we can to make sure you are safe and not harmed again."

"Daddy told me not to tell! He told me not to let anyone see! And you saw, you all saw my scars and now I have to leave again because I was bad and let you see! I don't want to leave again…"

"Sakura…"

"I don't want to feel this pain here," Sakura wailed grabbing the fabric above her heart. "I don't care if I feel it when daddy hurts me, I don't want to feel this hurt again."

The older man frowned looking up at the pink haired girl who was sitting on the side of a cot while he kneeled before her on the floor. He really hated seeing his only true family, his granddaughter like this. She was so innocent and young that she automatically took all the blame upon herself and brushed off the wrongs committed against her.

"Please don't make me go again…"

"I'm sorry Sakura chan."

After trying to apprehend the father, his son, all Sayawoharau Shinken found was an empty apartment littered with empty sake jars and the smell of blood. The coward had fled. He abandoned his little girl and took off in order to save his own skin. Unfortunately he was a sore looser and would most likely come after Sakura or send some of his connections after her. The only safe choice was to leave the leaf village entirely. Sakura could come with him and help rebuild his clan, give them hope for the future and encourage them to strive for what was no possible.

"It hurts…"

"I know… but it'll heal with time and love. I'll be there to protect you and make sure you're never lonely or sad. You can count on me to be there for you whenever you want Sakura chan."

"But what about Naruto kun and Kiba kun and Sasuke kun and Neji kun and Hinata chan? Will I ever be able to see them again?" the bright eyed girl asked with hope reflecting in her emerald colored orbs.

"I'm afraid not. At least not for a while. If you come into contact with any of the children in this village you could put them at risk. I know you don't want your friends to get hurt right?"

"S…so I won't be able to see them again. Not ever?"

"Not for a few years, no. But I promise that one day when we are stronger and your friends are stronger you will be able to meet them once again. And when a Shinken makes a promise it's a good as done." Sayawoharau Shinken commented placing a worn swordweilding hand on top of her own small trembling ones.

"Oyaji Shinken, why dose my hear ache so badly? Why dose it have to hurt me so terribly when there are no wounds that I can see. I don't mind feeling the wounds I can see, but this pain is just unbearable. I don't want to feel it." Sakura moaned letting her he head bend forward and her silky pink tresses fall with it like a curtain to her tear stained eyes.

"You're heart is crying in emotional pain. It's different from physical pain. It can't be healed as easily…sometimes it's never healed. But Love and time smooth out the wrinkles and soften the scars. I know what it's like to feel this pain…"

"Did it ever go away?" He smiled softly remembering his son and his choices in life.

"No…I'm still healing. But I think I'll be able to heal eventually now that I have you."

Sakura looked away. She hated it, the pain that she couldn't see or feel. The tearing and screaming in her chest that she could not heal. When she had to leave Kimimaro it was then that she felt it for the first time. The when she left Haku to blossomed up and tore her up once again sending her into pain. And then when that had to leave Suna she felt herself dying from the separation from her red haired friend Gaara. And now that she was being told she would have to leave all her friends…it was too much for her tiny little heart.

"Sakura chan, it's not just for your protection, I need you as well. My clan, your clan needs you. You're my direct descendent with Hana Shinken as an guardian. The Shinken clan is loosing hope without a direct heir to carry out the position of head once I pass away. Sakura chan, you can be that head! You're already a powerful child with the experience with your father and Hana protecting you… We need you Sakura."

-

-

-

"Get away from us you demon."

"Get out of our sight!"

"Go crawl into some hole and die, why don't you?"

"We don't want you here!"

"Get out of our sight!"

"No one want you."

"Die!"

"Monster."

"Demon!"

Naruto whimpered under the harsh words thrown his way, raising a hand above his head to block the empty sake bottle throw at his face in hopes of hitting and possible killing the misunderstood boy.

His eyes were wide and scared as well as tear stained but not from the treatment, no something else had birthed these tears. He had been so heartbroken that he had forgotten that this part of the village was rundown and contained some of the more 'outspoken' villagers.

"Stop…please," the blue eyed boy whimpered as more and more objects were thrown at his face without regret or remorse. "Please just leave me alone…"

"Shut up! Shut him up!" More screaming.

Naruto slammed his hands over his ears and took off running for some dark place he could cry himself dry. Their words hurt but not as much as the words from earlier when he went back to visit his Sakura chan.

'_She's sick, she needs to leave to get better. You can't see her._'

She was his first real friend that didn't see what those people saw in him. Sasuke was a rival in everything. Sakura chan was his first real friend. She was his friend and now she was leaving him.

His tears spilled down shamelessly as he stumbled into a small training ground surrounded by trees. He didn't care if he was seen by anyone, it hurt too much too keep it in.

"Sakura chan…Don't leave me…"

-

-

-

Sasuke bit down hard on his bottom lip not noticing the crimson red droplets starting to roll down his chin and onto the floor. Pain and anger boiled in his chest as he slammed her fist down at the floor falling to his knees. The earlier conversation he shared with his parents still fresh in his mind.

"I'm sorry Sasuke kun but that's just not possible," his mother softly spoke with a sad smile.

"But I want to see her! I want to see Sakura chan!"

"I know and I'm really, really sorry about how you're feeling right now but we were told not to come into contact with Sakura chan because of her mental injuries and the stress of…. current events."

"But I already saw Sakura chan in the hospital and she was fine! I could see her then couldn't I? Why can't I see her now? It's not fair."

"I know but there have been some…issues that have come up preventing anyone aside from family from visiting her. Emotionally and physically she's very weak and heartbroken. Seeing you would just hurt her more. You want the best for Sakura chan right? Well we can't risk hurting her any more than she already is." The dark haired Uchiha smile patting her son's shoulders with love.

The onyx eyes of her young Uchiha son narrowed in anger at his confusion. "What do you mean heartbreak? Why would Sakura be heartbroken?"

Mikoto blushed and stuttered, refusing to look Sasuke in the eye as if she was caught in a lie or a secret she wasn't allowed to slip. "She's…just sad Sasuke kun."

"Why is Sakura chan heartbroken? What happened?" Sasuke asked quick trapping his mother with his words.

"Sasuke kun… it's nothing important."

"What's wrong with Sakura chan?"

"Sasuke kun you're not suppose to know. I can't tell you."

"Mom!" Mikoto looked up suddenly, seeing tears in her son's eyes as he desperately tried to pry the secrets out of her. "Mom, please tell me about Sakura chan…" There was a haunting silence between the two for a long time before the Uchiha mother decided to end it with her words.

"Sakura's leaving the village and no one is allowed to see her."

Sasuke's world stopped as his hear shattered into a million tiny pieces, just like glass. This was all just a joke, a cruel prank. His Sakura couldn't be leaving him. It just couldn't happen. It couldn't!

"No…"

-

-

-

Hinata fell back down after that last attack and gasped as the floor came up to greet her face, mocking her defeat cruelly. There were people all around her watching with disapproving eyes from their seated mats as she stumbled weakly to rise up and stand once more.

"Put more power into your attacks." Her father sternly commanded not enjoying the humiliation he was going through for raising such a weak daughter destined to inherit the clan's head position.

"Yes father…" Hinata panted knowing her attacks were far too weak to ever hope for a successful completion of combos she was instructed to perform.

Just like before she was thrown back to the ground with a loud thud. Her father frowned deeply at how weak his little girl was compared to that Sakura child. She needed to perfect the Gentle Fist style if she wished to ever inherit her birth-right.

The Gentle Fist style of combat aims to damage the body's chakra circulatory system, thus inhibiting an opponent's use of chakra. To do this, the user will forcefully insert a small amount of their own chakra into an opponent's chakra circulatory system, causing the targeted area to rupture or divert flow.

"Get up."

"Yes father."

"You're done for today sit off to the side please while I deal with Neji."

Hinata looked down in sham as she was demoted in rank to a measly side mat instead of her usual spot at the front next to her father. Neji nervously calmed himself and kneeled in front of his uncle.

"Yes sir?"

"Neji, as you know, protection of the Byakugan ability is very important to the Hyuga clan and has led to the development of an elaborate family hierarchy. The branch house's main purpose is to protect the main house and the secrets of the Byakugan. You are of the Branch house and I feel this has been prolonged far to long considering the recant events."

Neji looked up curiously only to see his uncle's palm closing over his eyes before a darkness followed by a blinding pain took over his body.

Later on the two separately locked themselves their rooms letting their tears take over and flow with freedom.

A caged bird trapped in fat's hands and a disappointment in her father's eyes.

Only one person could make this pain better and she was leaving the both of them.

"Sakura chan…" Neji whispered

"Come back to us…" Hinata finished.

-

-

-

Kiba angrily hugged his k9 companion as he let hot tears of anger and sorrow fall down over the tattoos on his cheeks.

He didn't care if someone saw him and accused him of being weak or unmanly. All that he cared about was seeing the one person who he was forbidden to never come into contact with.

His father felt his was loosing his dominance and going soft for hanging out with a bunch of kids consisting of two girls and three boys. The two girls part really got the old man annoyed.

"You're a Inuzuka, start acting like one!"

"Don't be a disappointment."

"Uphold the clan's name!"

"Stop complaining, suck it up."

"Be a man already."

Akamaru sensed his master's emotional distress and hesitantly reached up to lick away some of the tattooed boy's cheeks. He whimpered and whined softly not wanting to see his best friend and master in such a state.

"I know boy, I should toughen up shouldn't I?" Kiba hoarsely whispered laughing patathiclly at himself and his weakness. "I'm weak and a disappointment this way."

His fluffy white dog barked quickly as if to contradict his master's words, telling him he was wrong about himself.

"I know I should be stronger. I know I shouldn't allow myself to cry a lot like this but… but it really hurts. It hurts Akamaru."

Kiba looked down with hazed over eyes as he remembered his father's outbursts when he had found out about the party and it's events. His father wasn't in the best of health so he was putting more and more pressure on Kiba to grow up and take his place as head of the clan.

Kiba looked down at his wrist where a white bandage was tend lovingly with care. It was the bandage Sakura used to tend to his dog.

"Sakura chan…"

-

-

-

Kimimaro looked up at the sky full of snow dully wondering why it would be snowing at this time of year. His red rimmed jade eyes felt heavy as he fell down to his knees in the snow kissed grass. They were gone. Every one of them, completely wiped out. He was the last.

"But I'm free of my cage…" He murmured lightly to himself laying his head down.

Thoughts of his past confinement flashed behind his eyes and he smiled softly knowing that those days were over.

"They can't get me now." His smile however fell when he realized that he now had no one to be loyal to.

No one to devote his life to. In simple terms he had not meaning to life. Life was better for him but he had nowhere to go and no purpose.

Words rang in his head as he remembered his father's words before the massacre took place. The exact wording vaguely slipping from him at the moment. He remembered what it was he had to do. He needed to find someone to live his life for. He needed to serve someone, that was his meaning in life.

He knew who it was he wanted to serve, who it was that would fit him perfectly. Someone he hardly knew yet felt completely at ease with. Someone who brought the confusion of his world into light. Someone who could smile and make him feel happy despite the pain in his body and the troubles in his life.

He closed his eyes and let her face float into his vision in all it's glory and splendor. Her emerald colored orbs bright and shining with innocent curiosity. Her silky soft dawn kissed locks falling around her face and framing it cutely, as the wind came to play with her small curls. She closed her eyes and laughed and he felt warm inside. He didn't feel cold like he did when he was killing. He felt content, the way he should feel.

His vision of her vision blurred and he found himself surprised to feel wet droplets clinging to his ashes, refusing to fall from his jade colored orbs.

"Tears?" He carefully examined the droplets hanging to his fingers before letting them fall away. He couldn't remember the last time he cried.

He chuckled making a silent promise not to give up and die until he met the pink haired girl who owned his loyalty.

"Look at what you have done to me Sakura chan."

-

-

-

The snow was falling for him, cascading down the skies in an elegant winding dance. He was making the snow fall from the heavens and grace his lands in the heavenly white substance.

His steeps were wobbly and uneven as he weakly stumbled up and over the small homey hill in front of his house. He didn't bother to look back at the condition his cottage was in. He knew multiple spikes of clear ice were piercing the structure from every angle, outward. After all it had been him who made the spikes of ice form and pierce the walls and roof as well as the multiple bodies inside.

Haku sniffed feeing his heart cry out a sob at the memories of the invasion. It was because of hat he could do that they had come after him. His father leading the mob of hell-bent villagers determined to end his un-pure life.

First the came for his mother butchering her mercilessly as she cried and pleaded from her husband to spare the life of her child above her own. Haku watched in horror as the event unfolded before his young innocent eyes.

"No, daddy! You can't do this!" Haku screamed as he backed up and away from the man he once called father and the sharpened blade in his hand.

"You are tinted," was all that was head before the knife came down and blood jumped from the open wounds.

Haku didn't want to and a dormant part of him woke up acting without his will. The moisture in the air hissed forming a solid liquid that pierced their flesh mercilessly and pushed it's self out of the house and into the open.

A tear trickled down his chin as a snowflake fell right next to it. The brown haired boy looked up at the sky. It was crying for him like it had that one time his heart ached like this.

_ The clouds of dark gray rolled in, blocking out the sum and it's warm ray with their menacing forms. Slowly, almost as if to answer to call of the young boy's sorrow, their treasures were released upon the earth covering it with a pure white blanket of snow once again. _

_A single snowflake fell upon Haku's cheek as the beautiful water crystals continued their decent upon the earth. He tenderly reached up and touched it, remembering the warm kiss she bless him with a moment ago_.

He remembered that day well, her face never once left his mind as her lingering presence continued to haunt him.

Haku recalled the blood on his shirt from when she had hugged him and had run away, back to whoever had hurt her. His heart was screaming for her even now, bleeding and yearning for her presence.

"Sakura chan…won't you come back to me…?"

-

-

-

The sun had set and the moon was well on it's accent up the night sky as it filled the sandy village with it's haunting lavender and silver rays that seemed to hiss out whispers of fright on such nights. Gaara had a reason to be afraid. He had a very good reason to be afraid. Not because he was in danger or because he was wounded physically or because he was sick. No he was afraid because he had almost killed one of the closest people to him in self defense.

"You are strong as I expected…Gaara sama."

It hurt, his heat was aching and crying like never before. Ripping, tearing, burning, bursting. Pain exploded within him.

"Yashamaru!" He screamed as sand jumped up all around him. His ucle did nothing but caugh up blood and lay helpless. He knew he was dying. "Why…why? Yashamaru, why did you…? Why? Why?" Gaara asked through his many tears remembering his uncle's words on what love was. "You…you…I thought you were…."

"It was an order…" the sand hared man choked out weakly. "I was ordered to kill you, by your father, Kazekage sama."

"Father did…? Gaara felt his stomach lurch wanting to throw up. "Father why….why me?"

"...You were born... with the Shukaku of the sand...and observed like a guanine pig, Gaara sama. But since you could not control... the power of the living soul, Shukaku, and were unable to manipulate sand on your own, your existence was deemed a danger to the village. Before that happened…" Here the uncle of the red haire boy let his words trail off as his hear slowed down a few beats, he knew he was dying.

"Then you did thing unwillingly because father ordered you to?"

"No that is not correct. It is true I received an order from the Kazekage sama... but I could have refused if I had wished to... Gaara sama, deep within my heart I hated you. You took the life of my beloved sister when you were born... I tried to love you by thinking of you as her treasured child. But I couldn't. My sister did not wish for your birth, she became the village's sacrifice and died cursing this village. After that I carried a would that could never heal."

Gaara remembered when his uncle had explained to him flesh wounds and hear wounds that could not be fixed. The memory once so real now tasted bad within his mind.

"My sister gave you your name. '_This child's name is Gaara, a demon that loves only himself. Love only yourself, fight only for yourself. By doing so you could continue to exist_.' Your name carries those wishes. But my sister did not give you this name because she loved you or cared for you. She gave you that name so you could continue to exist, because she hated and cursed this village as she died, and wanted this deep hatred to exist and remain, to let others know of it. You were not loved."

Gaara looked up slightly surprised as his uncle undid his vest and lit the explosion tags over his body.

"This is it. Please die."

An explosion rocked the building forcing smoke up into the air, blocking out the moon. But Gaara was not hurt, his sand would not allow it.

Memories of love flashed in his mind as he collapsed screaming and crying. A piece of him shattered then and there. His screams echoed throughout the city as his sand, for the first and last time, attacked him marking him with the character LOVE above his left eye on his forehead. Gaara looked up bloodlust reverberating in his eyes as his uncle's words played over in his head.

_"Love only yourself, fight only for yourself."_

"I am alone…" He growled readying himself to go out and kill someone why the fluttering of gold around his neck caught his eye returning his sanity and possible saving a few dozen lives.

_ "I'll always remember you Garra kun and when I'm older I'll come find you, I promise." _

"Sa….Sakura chan?" he cried touching the red stone at the end of a gold chain. He had replaced the silver chain with one of gold like Temari had suggested. He remembered her departure and the pain he was feeling knowing he wouldn't be seeing her again for a long time.

_ "Of course we are Garra kun! You're my friend!"_

That's right, he wasn't alone. He still had Sakura chan to hold onto.

_ "Nu uh it's not goodbye Garra kun! It's see you later 'cause I will." _

"Sakura chan. I need you."

-

-

-

Till everything burns

While everyone screams

Burning their lies

Burning my dreams

All of this hate

And all of this pain

I'll burn it all down

As my anger reigns

Till everything burns

Everything burns (Everything burns)

Everything burns

Watching it all fade away (All fade away)

Everyone screams

Everyone screams (Watching it all fade away)

(While everyone screams)

Burning down lies

Burning my dreams (All of this hate)

And all of this pain I'll burn it all down

As my anger reigns

Til everything burns (Everything burns)

Watching it all fade away

(Everything burns)

Watching it all fade away

-

-

-

* * *

**Other AN:/** Review! Review, flame, make a face...just review. I love it when you review.

HAPPY HALLOWEE! What are you'll going as? XD

Ja ne


End file.
